[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H3511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     50TH ANNIVERSARY OF HEAD START

  (Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 50th anniversary of 
Head Start, which President Johnson announced May 18, 1965. Head Start 
is our Nation's commitment that every child--regardless of their ZIP 
Code--has an opportunity to succeed.
  Since its creation, Head Start has prepared more than 30 million 
children for success in the classroom and beyond. My former district 
director, a brilliant African American man, was a Head Start graduate. 
His story and millions of others demonstrate just how important early 
childhood education programs are.
  Yet nearly 57,000 children across the country have lost access 
because of draconian sequester cuts, and the 2016 Republican budget 
makes it worse by removing another 35,000 children from the program, 
including 4,500 from my home State of California.
  Our children deserve better. How in the world will they compete with 
children throughout the world if we deny them an early start?
  Mr. Speaker, we know high-quality, early childhood education is one 
of the best investments we can make. So on the 50th anniversary of Head 
Start, I urge my colleagues to fully support this critical program and 
leave no child behind.
  I, too, want to commemorate and remember my dad, a veteran who served 
in two wars. And also, I want to commemorate and thank our veterans, 
our young men and women on duty, and those who have paid a very serious 
price on behalf of this country.

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