William Ford: “Mr. Speaker, on February 10, 1994, H.R. 3842--to reauthorize the Head Start program for another 4 years--was introduced…”

“Mr. Speaker, on February 10, 1994, H.R. 3842--to reauthorize the Head Start program for another 4 years--was introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill has cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. Measures to reauthorize the Community Services Block Grant Program [CSBG] (H.R. 4084) and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program [LIHEAP] (H.R. 4085) were introduced shortly thereafter. The bills were eventually merged into a single measure (H.R. 4250). In 3 short months from the day the Head Start reauthorization bill was first introduced, hearings on the legislation were completed, the Committee on Education and Labor amended and reported the bill, the House of Representatives overwhelming approved the bill, and today I am pleased to bring back to the House of Representatives the conference report on the Human Services Amendments of 1994. The Senate passed the conference report last night by a vote of 98 to 1. The speed with which this legislation has progressed through the Congress is a testament to the vitality of the Head Start program and is an affirmation of the ability of Republicans and Democrats to work together for the sake of improving the lives of young children and their parents living in poverty in this country. I am indeed honored that in my last year serving in the U.S. Congress I will have had the opportunity to help extend the Head Start program into the 21st century.”