mr. speaker , i rise in opposition to this rule . 
the committee on education and the workforce voted for this head start bill unanimously , 48 to 0. but many of our republican colleagues today would destroy this bill , making it partisan by allowing religious discrimination in hiring while using federal funds , using taxpayer dollars . 
most democrats were not allowed to bring their amendments here to the floor for debate , although a bill was allowed that would add religious discrimination to this head start bill . 
it is a poison pill . 
i offered an amendment with the gentleman from maryland ( mr. van hollen ) xz4004150 to fully fund head start and to increase funding for early head start . 
even though we are serving fewer than half of eligible children , the first 4 years of the george w. bush administration included four of the five smallest head start funding increases since 1991 . 
and the number of children served by head start has increased by less than one-tenth of 1 percent since the end of the clinton administration . 
in a country as wealthy as ours , this is not acceptable . 
it is also not acceptable that while denying democrats a debate on expanding access for children , we will debate an amendment from the gentlewoman from colorado ( mrs. musgrave ) xz4002870 to allow some providers to divert public funds to private profit . 
opponents of my amendment will say that they would like to increase funding for head start , but that they just can not because budget constraints make it impossible . 
but this is authorizing legislation , mr. speaker , and authorizing legislation should tell appropriators what we need to accomplish our goals . 
if appropriators do not have the resources to do this , it is only because the administration and this congress choose more tax cuts for the wealthiest among us over help for our children . 
