[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18174]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  SCHOOL READINESS ACT HURTS CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition 
to the so-called School Readiness Act of 2003, H.R. 2210. This bill 
does not provide the adequate funding for Head Start or for the much-
needed expansion of early Head Start and migrant and seasonal Head 
Start programs.
  H.R. 2210 begins an irreversible process of dismantling Head Start by 
promoting religious discrimination in hiring, shortchanging teachers, 
and denying services to eligible children by continuing to underfund 
Head Start.
  Nearly 4 decades of research have established that Head Start 
delivers the intended services and improves the lives and development 
of the children and families that it serves. To illustrate how 
effective Head Start can be, let me tell you about one of my 
constituents.
  Ms. Robles is a single mother with three children. She works full 
time while her children attend school. Pablo, the youngest of her three 
children, has been fortunate enough to participate and be enrolled in 
the Head Start program. Before Pablo started Head Start, he was quiet 
and withdrawn, a very shy boy who was very much dependent upon his 
mother. Pablo is now a confident and expressive little boy. He wants to 
do things independently and enjoys playing puzzles and building blocks.
  Ms. Robles told me, ``The transformation in Pablo is amazing. I see 
the difference in Pablo and my other two children who were not lucky 
enough to participate in Head Start.''
  In addition, Ms. Robles is grateful to Head Start because of the 
services it provides. She receives help from the social workers, 
including the emotional support she needed ever since leaving her 
family and friends behind in her country to make a new start in the 
United States. The nurses and teachers who participate in Head Start 
are also attentive and helpful to her and her children. Ms. Robles now 
feels she is a better mother to her children at home and a more 
prepared parent advocate to her children in school.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill that skimps on 
children, H.R. 2210. As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, why fix 
it.
  Let us not play with the future of our most vulnerable children like 
Pablo Robles.

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