Lost in all of the Iraq war funding discussions, HR 1429, was passed in the US House by a vote of 365-48.
HR 1429 is the improving Head Start act of 2007, an important piece of legislation
Why was this legislation important?
(A) while the steady economic growth and low inflation in the United States
has yielded unprecedented prosperity, many children and families in this country
have not benefited from this prosperity and continue to be socioeconomically
disadvantaged,
(B) many community- and faith-based organizations have expertise in
moving individuals and families from dependency to self-sufficiency by providing
families with the tools and skills they need to participate in the community and
contribute to our economy,
(C) the Head Start Act was established to help prepare low-income young
children to succeed in school and in life by addressing the needs of the whole
child and providing comprehensive services such as health and nutrition,
(D) research confirms that children who attend Head Start programs enter school better prepared than low-income children who do not attend the program, are less likely to need special education services, to repeat a grade, or commit crimes in adolescence, and are more likely to graduate from high school,
(E) community- and faith-based organizations have participated
in Head Start programs since the enactment of the Head Start Act in 1965 and
continue to serve more than 90,000 children and their families,
(F) parents have an integral role in the development and implementation
of Head Start programs, community- and faith-based providers of Head Start
services employ parents and encourage parents to volunteer in the programs
because parents are children's most important and influential teachers,
(G) community- and faith-based providers of Head Start services not
only serve the needs of low-income children and their families but enrich,
strengthen and reflect the diversity of the communities wherein they reside, and
(H) the Head Start Act is a critical component of America's civil
rights platform, and community and faith-based organizations have been leaders
in the civil rights movement in the United States,
Head Start is a vital program within our communities. It provides children from lower socio-economic background the opportunity to enter the education system with the same advantages as other children from more affluent backgrounds.
Education has been and will continue to be America's great equalizer.
Congresswoman Bachmann's vote against this legislation continues her inaugural run at opposing every piece of Democratic legislation, not matter how much sense it makes and irregardless of who it hurts.
Focus on the Family, the group that loves me and I love them back, strongly opposed the legislation.
The legislation does not allow a religious institution to take religion into account when hiring.
In my humble opinion, it makes a lot of sense. Head Start is funded through public funds.
Why should their be a religious test for work funded by taxpayers?
This is exactly why the Congresswoman voted against this bill. I find it somewhat ironic that the self proclaimed "friend of the taxpayer" and strong advocate for the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) would fail to support a system of checks and balances ensuring that public funds are used fairly and responsibly.
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