Patty Murray: “today we are beginning a vital education debate. It is a debate in which every student, educator, and parent has a…”

“today we are beginning a vital education debate. It is a debate in which every student, educator, and parent has a stake. Schools across America are making progress, but we cannot be satisfied with the status quo. We need to build on that progress. As we begin this debate, I am optimistic. We have the opportunity to help students across our country. We have the opportunity to invest in things we know work and to make sure every student can reach high standards. I am optimistic, but I am also realistic about the way the majority has handled education this year. While I thank Chairman Jeffords for his genuine continued efforts to keep this a bipartisan process, I have to be realistic because, in the end, this has been a sharply partisan process, and the bill before us proves just that. In committee, I worked with my Democratic colleagues to improve this bill, to make sure we kept our commitment to reduce overcrowded classrooms and to make sure that vulnerable students were protected. Unfortunately, my amendments, along with most of the Democratic amendments, were defeated on party-line votes. As a result, this bill is a flawed bill, and it will hurt students, but one would never know it by listening to its authors. I urge my colleagues and everyone who cares about public education to listen carefully to what you hear the Republicans say in this debate and also to listen for what you do not hear them say.”