Mitch Landrieu: “I rise to offer a bill which addresses a growing population who seek a distinct supportive voice: our military dependent…”

“I rise to offer a bill which addresses a growing population who seek a distinct supportive voice: our military dependent children. Education is an issue which many Senators on both sides of the aisle have worked very hard to improve in every State in our union. This bill, however, is unique in that it strives to increase the quality of education for hundreds of thousands of our children of members of the Armed Services by catering to their specific needs and frequent moves. Let me begin by expressing my thanks to most members of this body for always working diligently to introduce and pass great initiatives for education. I firmly believe that we, at this juncture in our Nation's great history, have continued to bring family issues, such as education and the economy to the forefront of our discussion. Further, amid our continued discussion of the possibility of sending our military men and women into harm's way in Iraq, there is no better time to concentrate on their children, children who have the added burden of worrying about a deployed parent, or who must move to a new school many times as their parent or parents move to new assignments around the country. This bill, I am proposing, will provide Stable Transitions I Education for our Active Duty Youth. It is called the STEADY Act and is the first step to a smoother educational career for military dependent children.”