WASHINGTON — Congress is moving rapidly just weeks before the start of the school year to speed billions of dollars in emergency education aid to states in hopes of reversing the layoffs of tens of thousands of teachers.
Some $10 billion in aid to school districts is set to flow after a 61-39 Senate vote Thursday — to be followed quickly by a House vote next week — in hopes that it will come in time for many school districts to reconsider teacher layoffs.
Thursday’s vote was a hard-earned but partial victory for Democrats and President Barack Obama. Advocates said it could save the jobs of up to 300,000 teachers, police and other public workers.
The measure would provide another $16 billion to help states fund their Medicaid budgets — and therefore free up money for other budget priorities such as avoiding tax increases and preserving the jobs of state employees. About three-fifths of state governments have already factored in the federal help when drawing up budgets for the ongoing fiscal year.
The vote caps months of effort by governors of both parties, public-employee unions and others seeking to extend programs enacted in last year’s economic-stimulus law. That measure provided budget relief to states and local school districts that were hurt by slumping tax revenue as the economy struggled.
It’s significantly less generous than the version enacted last year — and one passed months ago that stalled amid increasing worries about the budget deficit. Still, state and local officials are desperate for whatever federal help they can get.
“This would be a welcome relief for us so maybe we could hire back as many people as possible,” said Carlos Garcia, superintendent of San Francisco’s schools. “Because if we really want to get out of this recession, people need to be working.”
Republicans blasted the measure as a giveaway to public-employee unions, a key Democratic constituency, just three months before the midterm elections.
