Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this amendment. As chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, as a retired Marine colonel, I have a unique and fortunate position to ensure the young men and women enlisting in our Armed Forces have the best education in preparation for the defense of our Nation. Currently, students who earn a high school diploma from charter schools, home schools, hybrid schools, and other means of modern education are required to score significantly higher on the Armed Forces qualification test than others just to qualify to enter the military. This policy, Mr. Chairman, is in direct contravention of congressional intent established in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2012. Last month, my colleagues unanimously supported my amendment to the FY 14 National Defense Authorization Act to reverse the DOD's discriminatory policy and ensure equal treatment for all students who desire to enter military service. The bipartisan Kline-Polis-Paulsen amendment prohibits funds from being used by the Department of Defense to enforce any policy that continues to not equally treat education credentials for enlistment.…”