Hensarling Votes to Reform Failing Education Policies, Return Local Control

Floor Speech

Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement today in support of the Student Success Act (H.R. 5).

"For too long, education in the United States has been held hostage by a one-size fits all policy which allows Washington bureaucrats to assert control and influence in the classroom. Not surprisingly, this intervention has resulted in more federal spending, mandates, and bureaucratic red tape, while doing little to improve student performance. President Obama and Democrat leaders believe the solution is to double down on these failed policies by further expanding the federal footprint in our nation's K-12 education system. Time and time again we see that these failed policies divert scarce resources away from the classroom in order to comply with Washington's red tape, and it is our children who ultimately pay the price.

"The Student Success Act is a step in the right direction, reducing the federal footprint in our nation's education system and paving the way for future reforms to ultimately remove federal intrusion into what is ultimately the responsibility of state and local officials. Specifically, this bill completely guts the ability of the Obama Administration to coerce states into adopting the one-size-fits-all approach of Common Core -- or any other particular standards -- through waivers, federal grants, or any other Washington mandates.

"As a father of two school-aged children, I believe that the most powerful thing Congress could do to ensure that all children have the opportunity to receive a first-class education is to put control of that education back in the hands of the state and local leaders and parents who know our children best."

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