Congressman Loebsack's Head Start Testimony

Testimony of Congressman Dave Loebsack
Provided to The Budget Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
Good morning Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Ryan, and members of the House Budget
Committee. It is an honor to testify before you on the issues most important to the families,
students, seniors, and veterans of Iowa's Second Congressional District. The needs and priorities
of the constituents I represent have not been reflected in the Administration's Fiscal Year 2009
Budget.

For too long, Washington has left behind hardworking Americans. In Iowa, this is evident in the
good people that are struggling to provide for their families, put food on the table, afford quality
health care, send their children to college, fill their gas tanks, and save for retirement. The FY
2009 budget request is a continuation of this Administration's failed policies that have left
people struggling to make ends meet.

Today, I urge you to reject the Administration's budget proposal when drafting the Budget
Resolution for Fiscal Year 2009.

First, I would like you to closely examine the needs of our law enforcement community, because
once again, the Administration's budget fails to recognize the importance of the Edward Byme
Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program to the safety of our communities, schools, and
children.

Byme JAG is effective because it puts funding directly into the hands of those who know best
how to combat crime and fosters the cooperation necessary to take drugs off of our streets.
Yet the Administration has proposed eliminating all direct grants to States and local law
enforcement and instead to create a single competitive grant program that would pit States, law
enforcement, prosecutors, and drug prevention organizations against one another while under-
funding the entire program.

Byme JAG is proven, effective, and critical to public safety. I call on you to fully fund Byme
JAG and to reject the Administration's proposed changes.
Second, as the budget process moves forward, I respectfully urge the Committee to look closely
at the funding needs for programs that support Iowa's students,

I am living proof of how community and education can make a difference. I grew up in poverty.
Times were tough, but I focused on school.

With the help of academic financial assistance, in combination with hard work, I had the strength
and resources to overcome these personal hardships and achieve the American Dream. For
today's children, this dream is quickly slipping away.

For children growing up in poverty today, their first chance at success is Head Start,
Unfortunately, the Administration provided only a small increase of $149 million for Head Start
following a $10 million dollar cut in funding last year.

As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, I along with my colleagues reauthorized
this important program. We worked hard to produce bipartisan legislation that has been signed
into law. If funded properly. Head Start will help many more children reach kindergarten ready
to succeed.

As children progress through the education system, they encounter crumbling schools,
overworked, underpaid teachers, and supply shortages. As we work to reauthorize the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act this year, I am disappointed by the Administration's
proposals for NCLB. The proposed increase for public schools is not enough even to keep pace
with inflation.

Higher Education also suffers under this budget which cuts new student benefits provided by
Congress under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. In addition, the Administration
asks for $4,800 for the Pell Grant scholarship, but I urge the Committee to support $5100,
bringing us closer to meeting our ultimate goal of $5,400.

I would also be remiss if I did not address the need to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act. Though the budget includes a $337 million increase in IDEA funding, it
provides far less than what is needed, to give necessary support to students with disabilities.

The Administration's budget has severely shortchanged our nation's students by failing to
adequately fund Head Start, No Child Left Behind, Higher Education and IDEA. I ask you to
reject these budget proposals and fully fund these critical programs to ensure our children receive a first rate education starting in childhood and continuing through adulthood.
Public safety and education are not partisan issues; they are critical domestic matters that are
suffering under the Administration's misguided polices. However, these are only two of many
domestic concerns I fear are being ignored.

I want to conclude by thanking you for this opportunity to represent the needs and priorities of
Iowa's Second Congressional District in front of the House Budget Committee, and urge each of
you to take our country in a new direction when developing the Budget Resolution for Fiscal
Year 2009.