[ExTxMarine]

This bill also forces one state - Texas - to maintain or raise their educational spending or risk losing $830MIL in federal education moneys!

A Dem from Texas wanted to make sure that Texas does not cut education spending while CONSTITUTIONALLY balancing their budget!

Complete BS!!

[The Pack Knight]

This bill also forces one state - Texas - to maintain or raise their educational spending or risk losing $830MIL in federal education moneys!

Actually, it's making every state do that. The difference for Texas is that the bill keeps the funding rules for Texas in place through 2013. It only binds the rest of the states for the 2011 budget.

Their reasoning is that Texas "didn't spend enough of their stimulus money" in 2009.

This whole thing is incredible and illustrates once again how the 16th Amendment and the "Hamiltonian" interpretation of the Spending Clause has allowed Congress to use its expanded taxing and spending powers to circumvent the 10th Amendment's prohibition against the federal commandeering of state government. At least two governors, Haley Barbour and Rick Perry, are coming out against it at least.

[pnh102]

This bill also forces one state - Texas - to maintain or raise their educational spending or risk losing $830MIL in federal education moneys!

What Texas, and all other states which gripe about federal meddling in their affairs, need to do, is to tell the Federal government to take this money and shove it. For one thing, education is supposed to be a state and local issue anyway, the federal government should be playing no role in keeping the lights on in the classroom whatsoever.