Kathy Castor: “I would like to thank the gentleman from Colorado for yielding the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this rule and…”

“I would like to thank the gentleman from Colorado for yielding the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this rule and H.R. 5. One of the hallmarks of America is our system of free, local, public schools. America is the envy of the world because a quality K-12 education is key to opportunity and a pathway to success. To build on that fundamental premise, 50 years ago, the Congress adopted the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to ensure that all children, no matter their background, family income, their race or religion, could have equal access to a high quality public education. This Republican bill, unfortunately, strikes at the heart of this fundamental American principle, and it tips the scales in favor of the well-to-do to the detriment of millions of other students. While the bill grants important flexibility to States in some areas, Republicans let States off the hook for maintaining their commitment to students in schools that oftentimes do not have the extras. The Republican bill takes away millions of dollars from students in schools in my home school districts of Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties in Florida. Overall, Republicans in Congress propose to cut Florida schools by $33 million in fiscal year 2016 and by a whopping $437 million through fiscal year 2021. In doing so, they cut at the heart of our ability to give teachers the tools they need to teach and our students the ability to learn. Now, Mr.…”