Gibbons promises to protect education funding, Social Security

U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said Thursday he will try to ensure President Bush's budget doesn't make No Child Left Behind an unfunded mandate for Nevada and other states.

Gibbons said he agrees with Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., that Social Security isn't in crisis today.

His comments came in response to questions at a press conference following Gibbons' address to the Nevada Legislature, which came one day after Reid spoke to lawmakers.

Asked about proposed cuts in federal education funding and the effect on No Child Left Behind, Gibbons said: "I will do everything I can to make sure it's not an unfunded mandate to the state of Nevada."

Advocacy groups say the cuts could cost Nevada up to $60 million in federal education funding.

Gibbons, now in his fifth term in Congress, is considered the front runner among Republicans who will run for governor in two years.

Asked whether he supports the President's plan to privatize Social Security, Gibbons said he hasn't seen a firm plan on paper.

"I agree with Sen. Reid, it's not in a crisis today," he said. "But if we don't steer this ship in a minor correction today, it will be a major correction down the road."

He said he didn't know what the final plan to change Social Security would be and that he can't comment on President Bush's plan because "I haven't seen his plan. It isn't in writing."

"One thing I will not do is jeopardize Social Security," he said. "I want to strengthen Social Security. I want to save the plan."

Gibbons also said he would not oppose an increase in the minimum wage to $6.15 per hour as approved by the Assembly.

He said Nevadans have "already addressed minimum wage in a referendum across the state of Nevada." The increase was supported 2 to 1 by voters in November.

During his 38-minute speech to a joint session of the Legislature, Gibbons said he will fight to keep money raised from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act sales in Nevada, a promise also made by Reid. Bush's budget has proposed taking those proceeds to help reduce the federal deficit.

Gibbons said he wants to keep the money coming to Nevada but to increase the amount going to education from 5 percent to 35 percent. To do that, he said he would cut out the portion of the proceeds now used to acquire sensitive and other lands as parks or wilderness. He said the federal government now owns or controls 90 percent of Nevada lands and the percentage is growing because of those acquisitions.

"My plan keeps the money in Nevada where it belongs," he said.

He said that could result in up to $700 million dollars for Nevada's education funding.

n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.