mr. chairman , i reluctantly rise in opposition to the passage of the h.r. 2123 , the school readiness act , a bill that reauthorizes the head start program through fiscal year 2011 . 
although the underlying bill enjoys wide , bipartisan support , the adoption of the amendment offered by the gentleman from louisiana ( mr. boustany ) xz4006360 has the effect of being a poison pill and makes the bill unpalatable . 
the boustany amendment permits faith-based organizations providing head start service to hire and fire on the basis of religious affiliation . 
the adoption of this amendment allows faith-based organizations to discriminate in hiring . 
this practice will work against a key object for which head start was designed to address : moving children and families out of poverty . 
the boustany amendment also drives a wedge within the faith-based community . 
the head start program was first established 1964 through the cooperation of african-american churches throughout the segregated south . 
from its birth , head start and the religious community have developed a strong partnership in the delivery of critical education and social services that have been the building blocks to escaping poverty . 
this relationship has worked well for generations and now it will be jeopardized if this provision is allowed to remain in the bill . 
many faith-based organizations who sponsor head start programs have experienced no problems in fulfilling their spiritual mission and honoring the non-discrimination in hiring requirements under the civil rights act . 
permitting faith-based organizations to use federal dollars to discriminate in hiring is a step backwards in the continuing struggle for civil rights , a step i am not willing to support . 
to remove the civil rights protections guaranteed under this program compromises the very purpose of this program . 
for this reason , i cast my vote in opposition to h.r. 2123 . 
