Date: 2011-02-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

To my colleagues. what would you do if $3 billion for education were denied the schoolchildren of Texas or of South Carolina or of California? Youd come to their aid. Nine Democratic Members. lonely Members all by ourselves decided to fight for the school districts of Texas. They called us and asked us for help. What we did was just ask the Governor to certify that the dollars that we would send them that had no votes from the Republicanswould be for the schoolchildren of Texas. I will do it tomorrow. yesterday and forever. Today. our school districts are being cut six in my district. Houston. Texas. HISD is being cut by $300 million. Our Governor is going against the funding process of this country. You cannot take and hoard money for children and expect us to sit idly by. I am proud to be one of nine Democrats who stood up for the children. I ask my colleagues to stand up for us. Let the moneys go to the children and not in the pocket of the Governor of the State of Texas. This amendment prevents the Department of Education from enforcing language that would ensure Texas school districts receive $830 million from the Education Jobs Fund that was passed last year. The Texas Delegation fought hard for these funds so that they are distributed to our neediest school districts and provides assurance that Texas will not single out education for disproportionate budget cuts in the next budget cycle. Mr. Chair. I recently met with several superintendents of school districts in my congressional district about this issue and this is not unique to schools in Houston. In fact over 40 Texas superintendents including: several Houston school districts. Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association. Texas AFT. Texas Association of School Boards. Texas State Teachers Association. Association for Texas Professional Educators. Texas Association of School Administrators. Texas Classroom Teachers Association. requested that the Federal funds sent to the State for education should be released immediately to those districts. Our children deserve the best quality education so they can grow up to obtain good jobs. The Governor simply needs to certify that the 830 million Federal funds will only be used for education. What does this mean in terms of jobs in Texas? This amendment would essentially cut 14.500 teaching jobs in Texas. Republicans continue to say we need to create jobs. and this amendment does the complete opposite while placing our children at a disadvantage. We cannot turn our backs on our children who need a quality education and certainly not turn our backs on our teachers in a time when our economy is fragile and when they need us the most. Let us support our Texas children. Texas is estimated to have a projected deficit of up to $27 billion and there are plans to cut millions for key programs. It is unacceptable to continue with politics as usual. The Federal dollars will be released upon certification that its only use is for the education of Texas school children. I urge my colleagues to join me and the thousands of teachers in Texas who are against this antiTexas amendment and vote against the Burgess amendment and look out for the best interest of our children.