David Loebsack: “I thank the chair for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to come to the floor today to say that I think this debate is a…”

“I thank the chair for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to come to the floor today to say that I think this debate is a distraction. I have spent a lot of time visiting schools and talking with teachers and parents in my district, and this debate does nothing to address what they tell me they need. What they want is for us to work together to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and to fix the things that we know are wrong with No Child Left Behind. If we care about improving their education, we should be working to make our system more flexible and less punitive, which is something that both sides of the aisle agree needs to happen. I urge my colleagues to come together to work on the pressing education issues: America's decline in international education rankings; unacceptable dropout rates and achievement gaps; and the need to create a smart, innovative workforce prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill.”