Washington, DC - Upon learning that the Harris County Department of Education (HCDoE) planned to rename a public building after Ronald Reagan, U.S. Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) sent the attached letter to the superintendent and board members, questioning the decision.

“Many of our constituents prefer that this building be renamed for someone with more significance in our community,” Green wrote, and suggested that Texas icon and former President Lyndon Johnson would be a more appropriate choice.

Green pointed out that Johnson was well known as a champion of many education programs, including Head Start, and that he signed more than 60 education-related bills. Green also wrote that President Reagan had tried unsuccessfully to close down the federal Department of Education.

The building is located on Irvington Boulevard, just a few blocks from where Green grew up, and is part of the districts Green represented in the Texas Legislature and now in the U.S. Congress.

Green concluded his letter by referring to the largely Republican Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees, saying the decision to rename the building should be made “with education in mind and not the political opinions of seven board members.”