Elijah Cummings: “I rise today to oppose the Boustany amendment to the School Readiness Act of 2005 (H.R. 2123). This amendment would…”

“I rise today to oppose the Boustany amendment to the School Readiness Act of 2005 (H.R. 2123). This amendment would abolish long standing civil rights protections that ensure federally funded jobs in the Head Start program are not subject to discrimination. At a time when 37 million Americans endure the plight of poverty, Congress is tragically debating an amendment that would undermine a successful anti-poverty program. Head Start provides disadvantaged children with a genuine head start in life to outrun the clutches of limited opportunities. While H.R. 2123 is not a perfect bill, it positively maintains the successful federal-to-local structure of Head Start and wisely promotes ``smart accountability.'' Mr. Chairman, the Boustany amendment needlessly dismantles the bipartisan spirit of the underlying bill in an attempt to rectify a nonexistent problem. For decades, faith-based organizations that provide Head Start services have ably met the needs of children, while adhering to the law protecting their 198,000 teachers and 1.4 million volunteers from employment discrimination. The Boustany amendment would repeal those protections, allowing faith-based Head Start providers to establish a ``religious test'' to dictate personnel decisions for positions funded with federal tax dollars. In fact, the Boustany amendment could allow discrimination on practically any basis.…”