After a Democrat Administration passed an omnibus bill with language to eliminate a vital school choice program, swiping vouchers from families who needed them, Republicans are more concerned than ever about education.They are especially concerned because of the massive spending in all areas of government since Barack Obama took office.

Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon recently introduced the Priorities in Education Spending Act in hopes of repealing superfluous education programs clogging up the system and wasting taxpayer dollars. Under ESA, taxpayers could save more than $1.4 billion in 2009 by helping eliminate 68 ineffective programs and reforming the core programs that students really need. McKeon takes a particular interest in helping those children with disadvantages and disabilities.

The eliminated programs are all currently authorized under the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency and some were merely "pet projects" created by past leaders.

In a statement, McKeon writes that supporting his bill will "put students first when it comes to federal education spending which means supporting prgorams that will serve them today without saddling them with overwhelming debt tomorrow."