Cory Booker: “I wish to speak about the Every Student Succeeds Act that the President signed into law today. I want to first…”

“I wish to speak about the Every Student Succeeds Act that the President signed into law today. I want to first congratulate my colleagues Senator Patty Murray and Senator Lamar Alexander, who have effectively been able to guide this bill through the Senate. It has been an honor to watch and participate in this process--a process that has served as a great example of the way the Senate is supposed to work. When the original Senate version of the Every Child Achieves Act came to the floor for a vote on July 22, 2015, I could not support it because, while it made necessary changes to the No Child Left Behind law, I could not in good conscience support a bill that fell short of investing in the potential and promise of all of our children, especially New Jersey's most vulnerable students. I stood resolute in the belief that if Congress was truly going to invest in our children and grandchildren's future, it was vital that any legislation passed provide support, access, and opportunity to equip the next generation to succeed, regardless of their socioeconomic status. These needs were particularly poignant given the historic context of the original Elementary and Secondary Education Act as a civil rights bill. Created the same year as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and just 11 years after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, President Lyndon B.…”