McCarthy Statement on Allowing Discrimination in Head Start

Statement

McCarthy Statement on Allowing Discrimination in Head Start

"The School Readiness Act, passed by the House today, represents a great missed opportunity. While the legislation strengthens Head Start by improving academic content and teacher quality, the addition of an amendment allowing Head Start teachers to be hired and fired solely on the basis of religion will seriously damage the integrity and fairness of one of our most successful programs for children.

This legislation seeks to codify religious discrimination. The bill repeals civil rights protections by letting organizations use federal funding to discriminate against employees of different faiths.

I have always supported Head Start and believe in a strong federal role in early childhood education, especially for underserved populations. And I recognize the contributions of faith based community organizations on Long Island and throughout the country.

However, I must oppose this legislation because Congress cannot set the precedent of allowing taxpayer funded religious discrimination. Head Start teachers should be judged by their qualifications and dedication to early childhood education, not by their religious faith."

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