Washington, D.C., Jan 31 - Congressman Silvestre Reyes today released the following statement regarding the fiscal challenges facing our school districts.

Reyes calls on House Republicans to advance the President’s American Jobs Act and on Governor Rick Perry to tap the State’s Rainy Day Fund to help save teaching jobs.

“After Perry's Tea Party allies in the Texas Legislature passed an estimated $4 billion in cuts to education for this next biennium, our school districts are now experiencing unprecedented fiscal challenges and being forced to take drastic measures.

"Some school districts for example, are facing potential multi-million dollar budget shortfalls in the coming year and more needs to be done to ensure that our kids don’t bare the brunt of these draconian cuts.

"Rick Perry has shown no leadership on this issue. By signing a budget with these drastic cuts, Governor Perry threw school districts under the bus and left them with very few options to help them meet their budgets.

"I am proud to say that under a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, billions were sent down to Texas in emergency aid, but time and time again Governor Perry and his Tea Party allies continued to play politics cheating our teachers, children and schools. Governor Perry managed to divert large portions of those funds to prop-up the state's Rainy Day Fund. Despite these actions, the latest round of federal funds through the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act of 2010 funneled about $28 million to El Paso area school districts, and I am proud to have worked with my Democratic colleagues in the 111th Congress to make this happen despite unanimous Republican opposition in the House.

"I continue to call on my Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives to advance the President’s American Jobs Act which would provide our school districts with much needed assistance to help prevent teacher layoffs at this critical time. The El Paso Independent School District for example is estimated to receive $45 million in emergency aid under this legislation and many other districts would also receive assistance.

"Now that Governor Perry has suspended his campaign, he needs to take responsibility and redeem himself by taking immediate action to help our schools. I call on him once again to convene an emergency session of the Texas Legislature and ask lawmakers to tap into the state's Rainy Day Fund to provide emergency aid to under-served schools in the state.

"It is irresponsible to balance the budget on the backs of our children and their future. Every child deserves a world class education. Every child, no exceptions. El Paso deserves better and I will continue my fight to ensure that our students and teachers are a top priority.”