From the National Governors' Association, December, 2000.
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The vote came as both houses of Congress intensified work on the bill atop Bush's agenda, a measure designed to improve student performance as measured through annual tests. The two bills are similar at their core. Each would require that students be tested annually on reading and math from the third grade until the eighth. School districts would be granted greater flexibility in their use of federal funds, a provision designed to give local officials the ability to direct resources to their greatest needs - higher teacher salaries, for example, or improved classroom technology. The vote in committee to remove the voucher provision was 27-20, with five Republicans siding with all the panel's Democrats.