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Vito Fossella on Education

Rep./Cons./Right-To-Life Representative (NY-13)

 


$4,500 to offset tuition at private or parochial school

Vito Fossella (R-NY) introduced a House bill to create a federal tax credit of $4,500 per family to offset the cost of private or parochial school tuition. In Florida a student qualifying for school choice would receive less than $3,500. Nationally, the amount provided to parents to cover some form of private education ranges between $3,000 and $4,500. Florida school districts, meanwhile, receive about $10,000 per student enrolled in a public school. That is why school choice means more money for education without raising the tax burden. Moreover, schools perform better when they are subject to competition and choice.

Thus the answer to Florida's education woes is not more spending but smarter spending. Success is not defined by per student spending or classroom size but by learning outcomes.

Source: 100 Innovative Ideas, by Marco Rubio, p. 37 , Nov 1, 2006

Voted NO on additional $10.2B for federal education & HHS projects.

Veto override on the bill, the American Competitiveness Scholarship Act, the omnibus appropriations bill for the Departments of Departments of Education, Health & Human Services, and Labor. Original bill passed & was then vetoed by the President.

Proponents support voting YES because:

Rep. OBEY: This bill, more than any other, determines how willing we are to make the investment necessary to assure the future strength of this country and its working families. The President has chosen to cut the investments in this bill by more than $7.5 billion in real terms. This bill rejects most of those cuts.

Opponents recommend voting NO because:

Rep. LEWIS: This bill reflects a fundamental difference in opinion on the level of funding necessary to support the Federal Government's role in education, health and workforce programs. The bill is $10.2 billion over the President's budget request. While many of these programs are popular on both sides of the aisle, this bill contains what can rightly be considered lower priority & duplicative programs. For example, this legislation continues three different programs that deal with violence prevention. An omnibus bill is absolutely the wrong and fiscally reckless approach to completing this year's work. It would negate any semblance of fiscal discipline demonstrated by this body in recent years.

Veto message from President Bush:

This bill spends too much. It exceeds [by $10.2 billion] the reasonable and responsible levels for discretionary spending that I proposed to balance the budget by 2012. This bill continues to fund 56 programs that I proposed to terminate because they are duplicative, narrowly focused, or not producing results. This bill does not sufficiently fund programs that are delivering positive outcomes. This bill has too many earmarks--more than 2,200 earmarks totaling nearly $1 billion. I urge the Congress to send me a fiscally responsible bill that sets priorities.

Reference: American Competitiveness Scholarship Act; Bill Veto override on H.R. 3043 ; vote number 2007-1122 on Nov 15, 2007

Voted NO on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance.

Amendment to preserve the authority of the US Supreme Court to decide any question pertaining to the Pledge of Allegiance. The bill underlying this amendment would disallow any federal courts from hearing cases concerning the Pledge of Allegiance. This amendment would make an exception for the Supreme Court.

Proponents support voting YES because:

I believe that our Pledge of Allegiance with its use of the phrase "under God" is entirely consistent with our Nation's cultural and historic traditions. I also believe that the Court holding that use of this phrase is unconstitutional is wrong. But this court-stripping bill is not necessary. This legislation would bar a Federal court, including the Supreme Court, from reviewing any claim that challenges the recitation of the Pledge on first amendment grounds.

If we are a Nation of laws, we must be committed to allowing courts to decide what the law is. This bill is unnecessary and probably unconstitutional. It would contradict the principle of Marbury v. Madison, intrude on the principles of separation of powers, and degrade our independent Federal judiciary.

Opponents support voting NO because:

I was disappointed 4 years ago when two judges of the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that our Pledge, our statement of shared national values, was somehow unconstitutional. I do not take legislation that removes an issue from the jurisdiction of this court system lightly. This legislation is appropriate, however, because of the egregious conduct of the courts in dealing with the Pledge of Allegiance.

By striking "under God" from the Pledge, the Court has shown contempt for the Congress which approved the language, and, more importantly, shows a complete disregard for the millions of Americans who proudly recite the Pledge as a statement of our shared national values and aspirations. No one is required to recite the Pledge if they disagree with its message.

Reference: Watt amendment to Pledge Protection Act; Bill H R 2389 ; vote number 2006-384 on Jul 19, 2006

Voted NO on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges.

This vote is on a substitute bill (which means an amendment which replaces the entire text of the original bill). Voting YES means support for the key differences from the original bill: lowering student loan interest rates; $59 million for a new Predominantly Black Serving Institution program; $25 million for a new graduate Hispanic Serving Institution program; provide for year- round Pell grants; and repeal the Single Lender rule. The substitute's proponents say:
  • The original bill has some critical shortcomings. First and foremost, this substitute will cut the new Pell Grant fixed interest rate in half from 6.8% to 3.4%, to reduce college costs to those students most in need.
  • It would also establish a new predominantly black-serving institutions programs to boost college participation rates for low-income black students, and a new graduate Hispanic-serving institution program.
  • As we saw from 1995 to 2000, the questions employers were asking was not your race, not your ethnicity, not your religion, they wanted to know if you had the skills and talents to do the job. Most often today, those skills and that talent requires a higher education. A college education is going to have to become as common as a high school education.
    Reference: Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Act; Bill HR 609 Amendment 772 ; vote number 2006-080 on Mar 30, 2006

    Voted YES on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror.

    Children's Prayers Resolution: Expressing the sense of Congress that schools should allow children time to pray for, or silently reflect upon, the country during the war against terrorism.
    Reference: Bill sponsored by Isakson, R-GA; Bill H.Con.Res.239 ; vote number 2001-445 on Nov 15, 2001

    Voted YES on requiring states to test students.

    No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: Vote to pass a bill that would authorize $22.8 billion in education funding, a 29 percent increase from fiscal 2001. The bill would require states to test students to track progress.
    Reference: Bill sponsored by Boehner R-OH; Bill HR 1 ; vote number 2001-145 on May 23, 2001

    Voted YES on allowing vouchers in DC schools.

    Vote to create a non-profit corporation to administer federally-funded vouchers for low-income children in the District of Columbia.
    Reference: Amendment introduced by Armey, R-TX; Bill HR 4380 ; vote number 1998-411 on Aug 6, 1998

    Supports requiring schools to allow prayer.

    Fossella co-sponsored a bill requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer:

    H.R.1, S.73:

    No DOE funds shall be available to any educational agency which prevents participation in constitutionally protected prayer in public schools by individuals on a voluntary basis. No educational agency shall require any person to participate in prayer or influence the form or content of any constitutionally protected prayer in such public schools.
    H.Con.Res.199 (Nov 19, 1999, Bonilla et. al.)
    Expressing the sense of the Congress that prayers and invocations at public school sporting events contribute to the moral foundation of our Nation and urging the Supreme Court to uphold their constitutionality.
    H.J.RES. 54
    Recognizing the authority of public schools to allow students to exercise their constitutional rights by establishing a period of time for silent prayer or meditation or reflection, encouraging the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, and refusing to discriminate against individuals or groups on account of their religious character or speech.
    Source: H.R.1 01-HR1 on Jan 31, 2001

    Rated 22% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes.

    Fossella scores 22% by the NEA on public education issues

    The National Education Association has a long, proud history as the nation's leading organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. Founded in 1857 "to elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching and to promote the cause of popular education in the United States," the NEA has remained constant in its commitment to its original mission as evidenced by the current mission statement:

    To fulfill the promise of a democratic society, the National Education Association shall promote the cause of quality public education and advance the profession of education; expand the rights and further the interest of educational employees; and advocate human, civil, and economic rights for all.
    In pursuing its mission, the NEA has determined that it will focus the energy and resources of its 2.7 million members toward the "promotion of public confidence in public education." The ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
    Source: NEA website 03n-NEA on Dec 31, 2003

    2016-17 Governor, House and Senate candidates on Education: Vito Fossella on other issues:
    NY Gubernatorial:
    Andrew Cuomo
    Bill de Blasio
    George Pataki
    Howie Hawkins
    Kathy Hochul
    Mike Bloomberg
    Rob Astorino
    Zephyr Teachout
    NY Senatorial:
    Kirsten Gillibrand

    Special elections in 2017 (Democrats):
    CA-34:Becerra(D; appointed CA Atty General)
    CA-34:Gomez(D; elected June 6)
    GA-6:Ossoff(D; lost election June 20)

    Newly-elected Democrats seated Jan.2017:
    AZ-1:O`Halleran(D)
    CA-17:Khanna(D)
    CA-20:Panetta(D)
    CA-24:Carbajal(D)
    CA-44:Barragan(D)
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    FL-5:Lawson(D)
    FL-7:Murphy(D)
    FL-9:Soto(D)
    FL-10:Demings(D)
    FL-13:Crist(D)
    HI-1:Hanabusa(D)
    IL-10:Schneider(D)
    IL-8:Krishnamoorthi(D)
    MD-4:Brown(D)
    MD-8:Raskin(D)
    NH-1:Shea-Porter(D)
    NJ-5:Gottheimer(D)
    NV-3:Rosen(D)
    NV-4:Kihuen(D)
    NY-3:Suozzi(D)
    NY-13:Espaillat(D)
    PA-2:Evans(D)
    TX-15:Gonzalez(D)
    VA-4:McEachin(D)
    WA-7:Jayapal(D)
    Special elections in 2017 (Republicans):
    KS-4:Pompeo(R; appointed CIA Director)
    KS-4:Estes(R; elected April 11)
    GA-6:Price(R; appointed HHS Secretary)
    GA-6:Handel(R; elected June 20)
    MT-0:Zinke(R; appointed DOI Secretary)
    MT-0:Gianforte(R; elected May 25)
    SC-5:Mulvaney(R; appointed OMB Director)
    SC-5:Norman(R; elected June 20)
    UT-3:Chaffetz(R; resigned; election pending Nov. 7)

    Newly-elected Republicans seated Jan.2017:
    AZ-5:Biggs(R)
    FL-1:Gaetz(R)
    FL-2:Dunn(R)
    FL-18:Mast(R)
    FL-19:Rooney(R)
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    Page last updated: Jul 04, 2017