mr. chairman , i thank the chairman for yielding me this time and allowing me to participate in this discussion . 
we know that children who begin kindergarten and first grade prepared both socially and mentally to learn have a much greater opportunity of success , not just in school but in life . 
improving the quality of head start should be a priority for all of us . 
one of the greatest challenges of any federal program is to ensure that hard-earned taxpayer money is used only for the purpose intended , and the current head start program does not live up to that principle . 
the need for safeguards and accountability are needed now more than ever . 
the school readiness act addresses financial management weaknesses found in the current head start system and publicly documented in various news accounts . 
there is disturbing evidence that a sizable share of head start funding never reaches its target : disadvantaged children . 
instead , the money is being lost to waste , financial abuse , and mismanagement ; and there are collective media accounts that suggest that the problem is not isolated . 
the director of a head start program in gardenville , maryland , was indicted on charges that she stole more than $ 350 , 000 from the organization over a 4-year period . 
imagine if this money were spent on students rather than stolen from head start . 
a former director of a head start program in charleston , west virginia , was sentenced up to 5 months in federal prison after admitting he used an agency credit card for a personal trip to the kentucky derby and preparing a false invoice for computer repairs . 
rather than investing money in student nutrition , this director took this money from school cafeterias and went to the horse races . 
the executive director of the kansas city , missouri , head start operation earned a salary in excess of $ 300 , 000 annually and drove a luxury suv , leased in part with federal head start funds . 
the gentleman has since resigned . 
head start was never intended to provide for six-figure salaries and luxury cars . 
the department of justice gained a guilty plea from an executive director of a lubbock , texas , head start program after he embezzled more than $ 800 , 000 over 2 years and diverted part of the money to a local restaurant . 
mr. chairman , it is a priority of this republican congress to ensure that the necessary financial controls are in place to safeguard against these abuses and to protect the public 's confidence in this important school readiness program . 
safeguards against financial abuse in this bill include an independent financial audit annually , an annual report detailing how their money is spent and the sources of their funding , oversight by a local governance board , and a requirement that administrative costs may not exceed more than 15 percent of the total program cost . 
congress must not ignore the evidence that much money invested in the head start program currently never reaches the disadvantaged children it is intended to serve . 
i commend the chairman for his leadership and the leadership of the subcommittee chairman , the gentleman from delaware ( mr. castle ) xz4000700 , for this bill ; and i urge all members of the house to support h.r. 2123 . 
