Kendrick Meek: “it is really a very, very hard message to listen to the Republican arguments for cutting Head Start. It is one of the…”

“it is really a very, very hard message to listen to the Republican arguments for cutting Head Start. It is one of the few programs, Federal programs, which has succeeded over the years. But now to cut it is a dangerous thing, because what we are doing on one hand is giving a big tax cut to the rich and we are cutting off at the pass these poor children who need Head Start. It has been shown by a bipartisan commission that Head Start does improve the lives of these children. It improves the educational outlook of these children. So you are going to cut funding for the little ones who cannot speak for themselves, these little ones, 3- and 4-year-old preschool children and not open up to even younger. If you are going to restore the kinds of things in America that we need to restore, you should be restoring the lives of these young children. Study after study has shown that it works and it works well. Since 1965, nearly 14 million children have participated in the program. So why are they saying it should be cut? To pay for the tax cuts for the rich. It currently serves fewer than half the poor children who are eligible. You have heard the arguments. It is well documented that this program worked. So then Head Start helps children in both urban and rural areas. Does it work? You bet. There are thousands of success stories. Mr. Chairman, I remember Winnie Jordan of Miami. She came from a very poor family and started out in Head Start at the age of 4.…”