mr. chairman , today we will vote on h.r. 3010 , the labor , health and human services , and education bill for fiscal year 2006 .  on behalf of the educators , administrators and students in dallas , texas , i would like to express my strong opposition to the education appropriations outlined in this measure .  the inadequate overall funding in h.r. 3010 completely undermines the public prioritization of education as a paramount concern .  make no mistake -- these education cuts come as no surprise .  beginning with the passage of the house budget resolution for fy 2006 , my republican colleagues have shown their true intentions with regard to education funding .  as passed , the budget resolution provides $ 56 billion in discretionary funding for the department of education .  this is a $ 530 million , or 0.9 percent decrease over the current fiscal year ( fy 2005 ) .  this is the first time in over a decade that total education funding has been cut .  although our children have no legislative voice , they represent our nation 's future and deserve our investment in their education today .  as it stands , h.r. 3010 would cut funding for reading tours , teacher quality initiatives , bilingual instruction , class size reduction , school modernization , violence prevention initiatives , afterschool services and many other vital programs .  specifically , the house labor-hhs-education appropriations bill would cut .  no child left behind by $ 806 million ( 3.3 percent ) below the current level .  under this bill , the nclb funding shortfall will be $ 13.2 billion next year and over $ 40 billion since enactment .  the bill also cuts the $ 603 million increase the administration proposed for title i to help low-income children improve their reading and math skills to only $ 100 million .  the administration 's request was already inadequate .  however , under this bill , title i funding will be $ 9.9 billion below nclb 's funding promise for fy 2006 .  the bill freezes after school centers , virtually for the fourth year in a row at $ 991 million even though only 38 percent of all after school applications nationwide could be funded last year .  we are turning away children even though more than 14 million kids are unsupervised after school each day .  it slashes education technology by $ 196 million ( 39.5 percent ) on top of a $ 196 million cut last year .  one in four states have no other dedicated technology funds to track nclb student achievement data , improve teachers ' use of technology , and close the achievement gap through online learning .  it eliminates comprehensive school reform grants to 1 , 000 high-poverty schools by eliminating the program .  rigorous independent evaluations have shown that comprehensive school reform models such as success for all , america 's choice , high schools that work , first things first , and talent development are making a significant difference in helping schools implement integrated , schoolwide reform strategies .  this bill turns its back on these schools .  the bill cuts investments in teachers .  it freezes the main nclb program to put a qualified teacher in every classroom -- teacher quality state grants -- at $ 2.9 billion for the 3rd consecutive year of a freeze or cut .  the bill denies 80 percent of the administration 's $ 500 million request to provide an incentive for the best teachers to teach in the most challenging high-poverty schools .  it cuts funds requested for math and science teachers by $ 79 million ( 29 percent ) .  it even cuts teacher training in american history by $ 69 million ( 58 percent ) .  it freezes impact aid payments to 1 , 300 school districts for over 1 million military and other federally-connected children , funding impact aid at approximately 35 percent below the maximum payments authorized for fy 2006 .  the bill also freezes flexible innovative education grants , english language training , civic education , state assessments , and rural education .  some of these programs have been frozen for four years in a row .  although the republican majority promised low-income students a $ 100 increase in the maximum pell grant in the 2006 budget resolution , this bill provides only half that .  the $ 50 increase would offset only 2 percent of the additional $ 2 , 300 in four-year public college costs since 2001 .  if enacted , h.r. 3010 would be a grave disservice to our children and the future of our nation .  for these reasons and more , i oppose the unsatisfactory education funding levels in this appropriations bill .  unfortunately , underfunded education initiatives is not the only problem with this bill .  the bill disinvests in job training and help for the unemployed -- cutting these programs by $ 346 million below the current level while 7.6 million americans remain out of work .  finally , this legislation lacks appropriate funding levels for in the human services area , the committee cuts in half the community services block grant , a program aimed at helping the poorest people in our communities who often have no other place to turn .  this is an improvement over the president 's plan to abolish the program entirely , but it still leaves more than 1 , 000 local community services agencies seriously short of resources to assist low-income people .  the purpose of this block grant is to provide flexible funds to meet whatever a local community considers their most important needs , whether it be for job training , emergency food aid , programs for low-income seniors , or home weatherization .  the bill also cuts the low-income home energy assistance program ( liheap ) by almost $ 200 million -- even though there 's no reason to expect that we wo n't have another winter of sky-high heating oil and natural gas prices .  over the past four years , the average cost of heating a home with oil has almost doubled , and the share of that cost covered by the average liheap grant has fallen by half , from 49 percent to 25 percent .  clearly , i can not support this bill as written .  in its current form , this legislation is nothing less than an insult to the american people .  it inadequately and irresponsibly allocates money to labor , health and human services , and education .  however , should this bill return from the senate with the appropriate funding levels , i will gladly support it .  i sincerely hope we can work out the problems and pass a responsible bill that responds to the needs of our children , workers , and elderly citizens .  