On the recordJune 12, 2019
I am not sure what this amendment does because it just says that you can't change the Office of Civil Rights in contravention of the statute that set up the Department. There is no change in the Office of Civil Rights. The bottom line is that the Department of Education enforces civil rights laws. Yes, there was misguided guidance by the last administration that actually decreased discipline in the schools in my district because the teachers in my district and the administrators in my district were scared that they would lose Federal funds if they disciplined students because they had to do paperwork, and there were reports, and the Department of Education was going to come down on them. Discipline suffered. The bottom line is that the record of this administration on minorities is clear: the lowest unemployment in history for African Americans in the country and the lowest unemployment in history for Hispanics in this country. The record of this administration in dealing with minorities is clear. It has provided economic opportunity for tens of millions of minorities in this country. The Office of Civil Rights works in the Department of Education, and I oppose the amendment. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
