On October 27, 2005 Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico offered an amendment on the Senate floor to increase funding for Fiscal Year 2006 for certain federal education programs targeting assistance to Latino students, including the Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP). The amendment was agreed to by a voice vote of the full United States Senate.

The increase given to the Title I Migrant Education Program was $4.8 million.

The other increases in the Bingaman amendment were as follows: English language acquisition: $7.65 million; HEP/CAMP: $2.85 million; ESL: $3.25 million; Parent and Family Resource Centers: $6.5 million; and Hispanic Serving Institutions (of higher education) (HSIs): $4.95 million.

The bill now proceeds to the House-Senate Conference Committee where the two houses will have to iron out the difference between the Title I MEP level of last year’s funding in the House bill and this $4.8 million increase from the Senate.

NASDME is very proud of its role in supporting this MEP increase, the first from any house of Congress in many years!!

The following Senators co-sponsored the amendment: Reid (NV), Kennedy (MA), Clinton (NY), Dodd (CT), Murray (WA), Lieberman (CT), and Salazar (CO).