Congressman lauds budget plan

The U.S. House passed President Bush’s 1.9 trillion-dollar budget plan on Wednesday. Iowa Congressman Tom Latham says it sets the proper priorities: paying down two-point-three trillion dollars in debt over ten years and strengthening Social Security and Medicare programs. Latham complemented the work of fellow Iowa Congressman Jim Nussle, of Manchester, who now heads the House Budget Committee. The budget is expected to face a tough test in the U.S. Senate next week. Small, rural schools would be able to get more federal dollars under an education bill being considered in Congress, according to Congressman Latham. The Alexander republican testified Wednesday about the legislation before the House Committee on Education and Workforce.Latham says rural schools are often too small to qualify for many federal programs. He says the legislation, H-R-1 or “No Child Left Behind,” would give local schools better access to the federal dollars and more flexibility on how to use them. Latham says his local school district, Cal Community in northern Iowa, only has about 340 students in K-through-12 and can’t qualify for much of the federal money.