U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today issued the following statement in response to the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee voting to invest in early learning programs.
“I thank Chairman Harkin and the Subcommittee for producing a bill that makes strong investments in education, including early learning programs. With today’s action, the Subcommittee has taken the first steps to recognize the important need for investing in high-quality preschool programs. Providing families with this tremendous opportunity for kids to excel will be critical to our national success for decades to come. The $750 million requested by the President and provided by the Subcommittee is a healthy contribution to help states develop and strengthen their early learning programs. I hope Congress will continue to listen to business leaders, military officials, members of the faith community, educators and America’s families, who are all in agreement about the importance of giving our children a strong start.”