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American Morning

President Signs Education Bill in Ohio

Aired January 08, 2002 - 12:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The president has been hitting the road quite a bit himself. Too bad he doesn't get frequent flyer miles. If he did, he would be racking them up big time today with trips to Ohio, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. On his first stop, President Bush signed the education bill, and education remains the focus of his three state swing.

CNN White House Correspondent Kelly Wallace joins us now live -- hello, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Leon.

Well, you know, this bill actually passed in the Congress in mid- December, but President Bush waiting until now to sign it into law because aides say he wanted to have the four lawmakers, the heads of the education committees in the House and the Senate, the Democratic and Republican education leaders, on hand with him in the words of these aides, "to share credit for this achievement," but also to tout this as an example of how Democrats and Republicans can work together to get things done.

So a short time earlier this morning, we saw the President in Hamilton, Ohio at a high school, the district of Republican Congressman John Boehner of the House Education Committee, and there the president sign into law what is being billed as really the most sweeping education reform legislation in more than 30 years. The president hailing this as a significant accomplishment, his first priority as president. The president saying schools will now be held accountable, and there will be consequences if schools just aren't doing the job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There are no more excuses, as far as I am concerned, about not teaching children how to read. We know what works, the money is now available, and it is up to each local district to make sure it happens. It is up to you, the citizens of Hamilton, to make sure that no child is left behind. The federal government can spend money, and we can help set standards, and assist upon accountability, but the truth of the matter is, our schools will flourish when citizens join in the noble cause of making sure no child is left behind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And here is a look of what is in the No Child Left Behind Act. It calls for a 20 percent increase in federal spending, that's $26.5 billion spent this year on public education. Annual tests in reading and math in grades 3-8, and then aid for students in failing schools. If schools continue to fail, students in those schools will have the option to switch to public or charter schools, or to get money to use for private tutoring.

Now, the president didn't get everything he wanted in this bill. He had to give up something he was pushing hard for last year: Vouchers that would have been taxpayer dollars going to parents with children in failing schools to pay for private or parochial schools.

Still, Leon, aides are really hailing this as a landmark bill. Again, they are saying an example of how bipartisanship can work and produce results in Washington. The president heading to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, the home states of Republican Senator Judd Gregg, and Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy respectfully.

Leon, the president and his aides definitely hoping this bipartisanship translates into other aspects of his domestic agenda, but as you know, we seen lots of partisan bickering over the economy. Democrats definitely planning to challenge the president on domestic issues this year -- Leon.

HARRIS: Yeah, just the beginning of a long election year coming up. Kelly Wallace, thank you very much.

WALLACE: Sure.

HARRIS: Talk with you later.

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