OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

School Readiness Act of 2005

Date: Sept. 22, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Judicial Branch


SCHOOL READINESS ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - September 22, 2005)

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to remind the House that faith-based organizations can and do sponsor federally funded Head Start programs. Any sponsor who will agree not to discriminate in employment, if they can sponsor a program with the discrimination amendment, they can sponsor the program without that amendment if they would agree not to discriminate.

What we are talking about is discrimination. Some people want to discriminate against Catholics, Jews, Muslims, African Americans. We had this discussion in the 1960s, and the consensus back then was that discrimination in employment was so offensive that we made it illegal. The victim needs to be protected and the weight of the Federal Government will fall down on the side of the victim.

The vote was not unanimous. Some people did not like it then; they do not like it now. And we are discussing where should the weight of the government be, with the victim or with somebody trying to discriminate. This is Head Start. We should not give students of Head Start the idea that their parents were denied a federally funded job solely because of their religion.

We have heard of the Supreme Court. All of the Supreme Court decisions have said it is okay for a church to discriminate in employment with church money. None have supported discrimination with direct Federal funding. We have heard of our forefathers in 1964. We know that since 1965 it has been illegal, at least until this administration, to discriminate with Federal money. Head Start has been reauthorized for over 40 years with the civil rights protections.

President Clinton's name has been invoked. What is left out is his signing statement where he said that his analysis was that they could not discriminate with the Federal money under his analysis. This administration has changed that analysis, but we need to make sure that President Clinton's whole signing statement is included.

Mr. Chairman, I submit for printing in the RECORD letters from numerous organizations including the National Head Start Association which oppose the discrimination amendment and ask us to vote ``no'' on the underlying bill if they sabotage civil rights protections.

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