Political Quotes

“as a cosponsor of the bill and advocate for the Head Start Program, I rise in strong support of the Head Start Amendments Act of 1994. The Head Start Program has a long and distinguished history of preparing pre-school children from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter school ready to learn. It combines learning with social services and parental involvement--an approach that is crucial to the health and development of children in their early years. I have argued many times that investment in our children is one of the most important, cost-effective choices that we can make and key to ensuring that they have a chance at the American dream. The Head Start Program is one of those crucial investments. For every dollar spent on Head Start, $3 is saved in future costs. Children who get a ``head start'' in life have a much lower rate of educational failure, teen pregnancy, welfare dependency, and crime than those who do not. The President has pledged to fully fund Head Start so that it can serve every eligible 3, 4, and 5 year old and I support him. That is why I offered an amendment to the Senate budget resolution to transfer $1 billion from Government travel expenses to six children's programs, including the Head Start Program. If my amendment is adopted in conference, then the Head Start Program would receive an additional $120 million, enough to provide slots for approximately 24,000 children.”