Providing for Further Consideration of H.R. 5, Student Success Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the
gentleman from Colorado for yielding the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this rule and H.R. 5. One of the
hallmarks of America is our system of free, local, public schools.
America is the envy of the world because a quality K-12 education is
key to opportunity and a pathway to success. To build on that
fundamental premise, 50 years ago, the Congress adopted the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act to ensure that all children, no matter
their background, family income, their race or religion, could have
equal access to a high quality public education.

This Republican bill, unfortunately, strikes at the heart of this
fundamental American principle, and it tips the scales in favor of the
well-to-do to the detriment of millions of other students.

While the bill grants important flexibility to States in some areas,
Republicans let States off the hook for maintaining their commitment to
students in schools that oftentimes do not have the extras. The
Republican bill takes away millions of dollars from students in schools
in my home school districts of Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties in
Florida.

Overall, Republicans in Congress propose to cut Florida schools by
$33 million in fiscal year 2016 and by a whopping $437 million through
fiscal year 2021. In doing so, they cut at the heart of our ability to
give teachers the tools they need to teach and our students the ability
to learn.

Now, Mr. Speaker, many amendments will be debated, and some could
improve the bill while others will not. But in the end, other than the
Democratic substitute, there is no way to fix this Republican bill that
would harm so many students and schools across America. So I urge my
colleagues to vote ``no'' and send the committee back to the drawing
board.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source