Chris Van Hollen: “in solidarity with the National Head Start Association, the Children's Defense Fund and countless other lifelong…”

“in solidarity with the National Head Start Association, the Children's Defense Fund and countless other lifelong advocates of the Head Start program, it is with a heavy heart that I must oppose this final, amended version of the Head Start reauthorization on the floor today. It did not have to be this way. I sit on the Education and Workforce Committee, which reported a genuinely bipartisan Head Start bill to this House. It wasn't perfect, and it did not reflect in every respect the Head Start reauthorization I would have written. For example, an amendment I offered to fully fund the program so that every eligible child could reap its benefits was defeated on a party line vote. Moreover, a second amendment I proposed to offset the significant costs faced by Head Start grantees working to comply with the Department of Health and Human Services' transportation safety requirements so that program dollars weren't diverted from serving kids was similarly not included. But, unlike failed initiatives in the recent past, the committee reported bill did not walk down the misguided path of block granting the Head Start program. Additionally, it took very positive steps towards establishing high standards for teacher quality and strengthening accountability for underperforming programs.…”