Todd Rokita: “Thank you, Chairman Kline, for your leadership on this issue. I also want to thank Ranking Member Miller, Ranking Member…”

“Thank you, Chairman Kline, for your leadership on this issue. I also want to thank Ranking Member Miller, Ranking Member Loebsack, our colleagues across the rotunda, and, of course, the staff, who put so much effort into this pro-work, pro-family bill today. Mr. Speaker, the reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program is an example of what both parties and Houses of Congress can do when we are working together to find commonsense solutions to national issues. I came to Congress to help all people build better lives for themselves and their families, and now, here with this bill, on this floor today, we get a chance to do that. We work together to protect children's early development and safety, as well as their parents' employment, by preserving State control over a Federal program that serves over a million and a half young Americans. This agreement prevents the administration from imposing early learning guidelines on our States, and it also limits the collection of unnecessary data on our children. At the same time, we have strengthened oversight and accountability at multiple levels of government. Early childhood care quality will improve because we are enhancing families' access to provider information while maintaining choice of provider. Families can choose between public and private providers, including religious providers. They can choose larger institutional settings or smaller, or even in-home operations.…”