Political Quotes

“when H.R. 2210 was considered in the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Democrats offered a number of amendments to the bill, an amendment to disallow a provision that taxpayer dollars be used to support religious discrimination in hiring, an amendment to provide money to Head Start teachers to help them acquire bachelor's degrees and be better qualified to teach low-income children of this Nation, and an amendment to fully fund Head Start, ensuring that all eligible preschoolers would have access to the program. Unfortunately, all of these amendments were rejected. As a result, low-income children in 42 States will suffer and the Head Start program will not have improved access or resources for teacher quality or protection from discrimination in hiring. In eight States, the majority would dismantle, would dismantle, the program, dissolving Head Start into a block grant without requiring Federal Head Start performance standards. This means States then can eliminate health screenings, parenting education, dental exams, adult literacy services, parent classroom involvement and vision services. The block grant is the first step towards the end of Head Start. Poverty is on the rise. We should not be dismantling Head Start. Our Democratic substitute will ensure that the program continues unharmed, eliminating the discrimination provision and eliminating the block grant. Children deserve Head Start. They deserve a chance in life.”