Political Quotes

“Let me thank the gentleman for yielding and for his tremendous support. First of all, I agree that we must take a critical look at No Child Left Behind and address its numerous shortcomings, but the Republican proposal is not the answer. This bill guts education. It violates the civil rights of students, and it does not support educators. It leaves students with disabilities, low-income students, students of color, English-language learners, migrant students, and LGBT students out in the cold. The so-called Student Success Act, which really is the Letting Students Down Act--that's what it really is--guts education. It guts it by $1 billion below the fiscal 2012 level, locking in, really, these already detrimental sequester cuts. It would fail to support meaningful improvements and reforms at the Nation's lowest performing schools. This bill does not support students, it does not protect students, and in no way does it guarantee access to equal quality public education. Finally, Mr. Speaker, let me just say, the rule fails to make in order the student nondiscrimination amendment, which would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students across the country from harassment and bullying. Every child deserves these protections. So we should go back to the drawing board on this bill. We should call it for what it is, and that's ``letting students down.'' That's what this bill does.…”