mr. chairman , i thank the chairman for yielding me this time . 
i have an amendment , the second amendment , coming up that i believe is very critical . 
it goes to the heart and soul of the head start program , and that is whether parents have voting rights or whether they are just going to get a pat on the head and told we like their opinions . 
i believe it is critical to head start that we put this back in . 
but two points : first off , i thank the chairman and the committee on rules for allowing an amendment in order that they do not support , and i appreciate that and i want to thank them for that . 
secondly , i gave my word and i believe it is important that we move this head start bill whether my amendment is agreed to or not . 
i believe the senate will never allow an amendment that strips parents , and i believe the administration will not sign a bill that strips parents , and i believe it is important that we have that debate , but it is also important we move ahead . 
a number of members have told me that if the amendment is not agreed to , they would vote against the bill . 
i urge them to move the bill forward regardless of what happens to the parents amendment . 
we need to address it in conference if we do not today , but it is the number one empowerment program in america . 
we do not need to go backwards and give more power to the government and boards that are not responsible to parents . 
we need to keep it at the parents level . 
but i want to , again , thank the chairman for his leadership in trying to clean up the financial problems . 
it was not the parents . 
this bill does that , and i support this bill . 
