WASHINGTON — Bipartisanship lives, and the U.S. House of Representatives is going to try and prove that on Tuesday.
The House is scheduled to take up two pieces of legislation today, one to expand access to charter schools and another to extend funding for the Federal Aviation Administration and federal highway programs. Both have the possibility of garnering widespread support from both Democrats and Republicans, a rare feat this session.
The charter school legislation originated in Minnesota Republican Rep. John Kline’s Education and the Workforce Committee this summer as part of the committee’s efforts to reform No Child Left Behind. The bill intends to streamline the federal Charter School Program and measure its impact on learning. Of the three bills yet introduced by House Republicans on their NCLB reform agenda, it’s the only one with bipartisan support, passing the committee 34-5.
The FAA and highway bill will extend funding for the two programs at 2011 levels through March for highways and January for the FAA. The short-term fix is the result of ongoing negotiations between the two parties as they work to find a long-term funding solution for the both programs.
The House is scheduled to vote on both this afternoon.
Devin Henry can be reached at dhenry@minnpost.com.
