mr. chairman , in solidarity with the national head start association , the children 's defense fund and countless other lifelong advocates of the head start program , it is with a heavy heart that i must oppose this final , amended version of the head start reauthorization on the floor today . 
it did not have to be this way . 
i sit on the education and workforce committee , which reported a genuinely bipartisan head start bill to this house . 
it was n't perfect , and it did not reflect in every respect the head start reauthorization i would have written . 
for example , an amendment i offered to fully fund the program so that every eligible child could reap its benefits was defeated on a party line vote . 
moreover , a second amendment i proposed to offset the significant costs faced by head start grantees working to comply with the department of health and human services ' transportation safety requirements so that program dollars were n't diverted from serving kids was similarly not included . 
but , unlike failed initiatives in the recent past , the committee reported bill did not walk down the misguided path of block granting the head start program . 
additionally , it took very positive steps towards establishing high standards for teacher quality and strengthening accountability for underperforming programs . 
it even included an amendment i offered on a bipartisan basis with representatives platts and biggert to provide grantees new flexibility to serve additional needy children when program slots became available . 
that is why i am so disappointed to vote against this bill today . 
with the inclusion of the boustany amendment , this bill for the first time seeks to legitimize publicly funded religious discrimination in the head start program . 
it takes money from taxpayers and then turns around and tells those same taxpayers they can be excluded from federally funded jobs in a head start center solely on the basis of their religious beliefs . 
in effect , it is a green light for religious bigotry . 
it has no place in the head start program , and it is precisely the wrong message to be sending to our nation 's children . 
i will continue to support head start . 
but i must forcefully oppose this legislation . 
