GREENE: "SUNSET COMMISSION" SEEN AS SNEAKY, BACKDOOR ATTACK ON HEAD START, ATTEMPT TO GUT PROGRAM FOR AT-RISK CHILDREN
WASHINGTON,
D.C.///July 27, 2006//National Head Start Association (NHSA) President and CEO Sarah Greene issued the following statement today:
“Congress should not let the sun set on Head Start. This is one of the most effective and highly rated programs in the federal government. It does an excellent job of preparing America’s most at-risk children to learn in school. That is why we oppose any sneaky backdoor effort via a federal ‘sunset commission’ to pull the plug on Head Start.
The Bush Administration has put a target on Head Start’s back for years now. A sunset commission could give the Administration and others the ability to chloroform Head Start behind closed doors. As conceived by their proponents, ‘sunset commissions’ are partisan. The commission will not have room for Head Start friends – there will be no input from parents, staff, researchers, Head Start leaders or even members of Congress.
Even if Head Start is not killed outright by a sunset commission, it could be gutted by destroying the Program Performance Standards that make the program unique … and of so much value to the low-income children and parents who benefit from it. To date, Congress has blocked the worst attacks on Head Start, but sunset commissions might very well change that. The legislation that these unelected commissions come up with will be pushed through Congress on a fast track, with no public hearings, limited debate in Congress, and little opportunity for lawmakers to offer amendments.
Americans should stand up and demand that Congress put an end to today’s nonsense talk about sunset commissions. The pending legislation for sunset commission is inherently anti-democratic. It cuts both the public and Congress out of the process of deciding the future course of federal government programs. Congress already has the authority to restructure government. Giving away that authority to an unelected commission is an abdication of our elected officials’ obligation to represent their constituents.”
ABOUT NHSA
The National Head Start Association is a private not-for-profit membership organization dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of Head Start children and their families. It represents more than one million children, 200,000 staff and 2,700 Head Start programs in the United States. The Association provides support for the entire Head Start community by advocating for policies that strengthen services to Head Start children and their families; by providing extensive training and professional development to Head Start staff; and by developing and disseminating research, information, and resources that enrich Head Start program delivery. For more information, visit http://www.nhsa.org.
CONTACT: Ailis Aaron Wolf, (703) 276-3265 or aaaron@hastingsgroup.com. |
