[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19402]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                SUPPORT THE SCHOOL READINESS ACT OF 2003

  (Mr. REHBERG asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. REHBERG. Mr. Speaker, today this body will consider the School 
Readiness Act of 2003, better known as Head Start.
  Since its inception in 1965, America's taxpayers have funded the Head 
Start program which has served nearly 20 million low-income children 
and their families. Unfortunately, the lobbying against this 
reauthorization legislation has been intense and, in many cases, 
misleading.
  When did we lose the desire in this country to make a program better? 
Despite the millions invested each year, test scores continue to remain 
low. There still has been a wide achievement gap between Head Start 
kids and their more advantaged peers. We have a long ways to go.
  Meanwhile, since 1996, funding for Head Start has nearly doubled in 
this Republican Congress. Do we think we can do better for these 
children? Yes. This is a modest attempt to improve a program.
  The demonstration program in this bill is voluntary, I repeat, 
voluntary, on the part of eight States who want local control to try 
and do better. Why not? What could possibly be wrong with that?
  The School Readiness Act of 2003 is a good bill and an improvement to 
the program.

                          ____________________