Democratic U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy has urged the government to spend more money on education as millions of students return to school for a new academic year.
Senator Kennedy delivered the Democrats' weekly radio address Saturday.
He said Democrats want more money for teacher training, small class sizes, early childhood education and college aid.
Mr. Kennedy accused the Bush administration and Republican leaders in Congress of underfunding an education law passed in 2001 called the No Child Left Behind Act.
He said without more money spent on education, America's national security and competitive standing in the world are at risk.
The senator from Massachusetts is the senior Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees education.
Some information for this report provided by AP.
