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Congresswoman Duckworth Votes Against Cuts to Education


Stands up for English Language Learners Program and Disadvantaged Students

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–July 19, 2013.  Today, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (IL-08) voted against H.R. 5, which deals with federal funding for K-12 schools. H.R. 5 cuts federal funding for public education by over $1 billion next year. The legislation also lowers standards and locks in cuts from the sequester that support numerous programs including special education.

“I am deeply disappointed that the majority has moved forward with legislation that will lower the quality of education in this country,” said Duckworth. “The cuts from H.R. 5 will force local governments to either allow class sizes to grow or raise taxes on working families. My neighbors and our children deserve better.”

Congresswoman Duckworth also spoke in favor of English Language Learner Programs on the floor of the House of Representatives.

The video link and text of Congresswoman Duckworth’s remarks are below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdXZ0_4hr0w

Earlier this year at Harper College in Illinois, I held an education roundtable with school district administrators and parents on the importance of adverting the sequester and reforming our education system. Since then I have heard continuously from educators, parents, throughout my district, on the importance of English Language Learner Programs for our young men and women.

As a child, English was not my first language. And I understand intimately the importance of programs that help children learn the language of our nation. It makes them more competitive when they become adults and enter the work force; it also makes our nation more competitive to have truly bilingual members of the workforce.

That is why I support proper funding of the English language Learner Program, and I am rising in opposition to this dangerous bill that, simply put, lets students down. H.R. 5 ignores the needs of this growing portion of our student population. It ignores them along with poor children, migratory children, and neglected children.

This bill guts education funding, rolls back protections for disadvantaged students, and removes accountability provisions that we all know our students deserve.

I want the children in my district to receive excellent education, and this partisan extreme bill will fail to provide that.

I yield back to the gentleman from California.

Source: duckworth.house.gov

 


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