[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11003]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             PRE-K FOR USA

  (Mr. CASTRO of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, for generations in America, we have 
seen that education is the surest path to success. That is why today I 
am introducing the Pre-K for USA Act.
  The Pre-K for USA Act allows local education agencies and governments 
to apply directly to the Federal Government for grants to develop and 
expand high-quality pre-K programs. Cities and school districts need to 
have the ability to step up to the plate and pick up the slack where 
their State governments are failing.
  Unfortunately, in my home State of Texas, as is the case in other 
States, legislatures have curtailed their investment in education. 
Instead, they have picked up the troubling practice of pretending to 
balance budgets by slashing early childhood education funds.
  I call on my colleagues to support the Pre-K for USA Act and get our 
country one step closer to ensuring that all American children have the 
opportunity to get ahead in life, achieve their dreams, and boost our 
Nation's prosperity.

                          ____________________