House OKs Record HBCU Spending Bill - record spending for historically Black colleges and universities - Brief Article

WASHINGTON -- Despite partisan bickering on other issues, the House of Representatives mustered enough support for a fiscal 2001 education budget bill with record spending for historically Black colleges and universities.

The 217 to 214 vote puts the House on record favoring a $50 million increase above current federal funding for HBCUs in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. If the bill becomes law, HBCUs would get $230 million. Of that amount, $45 million would go to HBCU graduate institutions.

All of the funding levels are above President Clinton's education budget request for 2001.

Even though the legislation has large increases for HBCUs, however, other spending provisions make the bill a difficult sell to Democrats and the White House. Despite the targeted increase for HBCUs, the overall bill shortchanges K-12 education, providing about $3 billion less than the Clinton budget request, administration officials say.

As a result, a White House veto of the bill is possible. However, some analysts say provisions such as the ones for HBCUs may remain as part of a compromise package.

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