| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today joined Representatives
Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and
others to call on the Republican Leadership to honor a bipartisan agreement
to fund labor, health and education priorities.
Below
is Schakowsky’s statement from today’s news conference.
“What
we see happening in Congress is the Texas two step – Republicans take a
small step to the left and then move way back to the right. They agree
to one thing and then a few hours later change their minds and say no.
“Before
the election, they toasted a bipartisan deal to increase funding for education
and health care programs by $18 billion. But before the music
stopped, they walked off the dance floor. Now, they want to shortchange
the American people by funding critical health, labor and education programs
at last year’s levels. This means:
-
school
districts will not be able to hire 12,000 new teachers to reduce class
size;
-
local
schools in our districts will be denied $1 billion for repairs and renovations;
-
70,000
fewer students would participate in Head Start;
-
150,000
fewer children from low-income homes will not receive child care;
-
80,000
individuals will not receive training and employment services; and
-
$1.4
billion less for Pell grants.
“No
one on this side of the aisle is leaving this dance until we give the American
people what they deserve; better schools, more teachers, investment in
health care, job training and first rate education.”
|
