Congressional group to talk education in Texas

From CNN Congressional Correspondent Chris Black

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A bipartisan delegation of House and Senate members will meet Thursday with President-elect George W. Bush in Austin, Texas, to discuss education reform.

Bush has said the first bill he will send to Capitol Hill will be education reform. Most of the lawmakers heading to the Texas capital are members of legislative committees dealing with education issues.

According to congressional staff, the delegation from the House and Senate will meet with Bush late Thursday morning.

Republicans invited include Sens. Jim Jeffords of Vermont, chairman of the Senate Education Committee; Bill Frist of Tennessee; Judd Gregg of New Hampshire; Tim Hutchinson of Arkansas. Democratic lawmakers invited are Sens. Jeff Bingamen of New Mexico; Evan Bayh of Indiana; and Zell Miller of Georgia.

Reps. John Boehner, R-Ohio, Thomas Petri, R-Wisconsin, Robert Andrews D-New Jersey, and Tim Roemer, D-Indiana have also been invited.

Roemer was the Democratic House sponsor of Ed-Flex legislation, a bipartisan bill that would grant more flexibility to local schools in spending federal education money.

The subtext of the visit is an intense competition for chairmanship of the House education committee. Three House Republicans -- Boehner, Petri and Peter Hoekstra of Minnesota -- have been interviewed for the position by the GOP Steering Committee. The victor will be chosen on January 4, the day after the 107th Congress convenes.

Boehner, a former member of the GOP leadership team, reportedly has the inside track.