Cong John Boehner's School Readiness Act Amendment

[Coastie for Truth]

DUers - Oppose Rep. John Boehner's amendment to the School Readiness Act (H.R. 2123)

Urge your Representatives to vote NO on Boehner's amendment to the School Readiness Act (H.R. 2123)

Under current law signed by President Ronald Reagan, agencies receiving Head Start funding from the government are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of religion when hiring staff. This prohibition against employment discrimination also applies to religious organizations and churches that offer Head Start programs.

For twenty-four years this legislation has enabled thousands of government-funded Head Start programs to flourish, while still protecting beneficiaries' Constitutional right to the separation of church and state. The House Education and the Workforce Committee recently approved its reauthorization by a vote of 48-0.

However, flying in the face of that bipartisan spirit, Representative Boehner, with the support of the administration, has announced that he will offer an amendment to repeal these longstanding anti-discrimination provisions.

If Congress adopts this amendment, teachers and staff working at Head Start programs housed in religious organizations could immediately be fired because of their religion, and taxpayer dollars could be used to promote proselytizing.

As DUers, we strongly support the First Amendment "Free Exercise" right of all religious institutions to perform their religious mission with their own private funds, remembering that federally-funded religious discrimination is always wrong. It is especially wrong for Head Start, which has been a ladder out of poverty for so many disadvantaged children of all religions.

After the Labor Day weekend when members of the House of Representatives return to Washington from their summer recess, they will vote on reauthorizing the historic Head Start pre-school program.

At that time Representative John Boehner (R-OH) is planning to propose an amendment that would change current law to permit religious discrimination in America's most successful federally-funded education initiative in history.

If Congress adopts Representative Boehner's amendment:

*Teachers and staff working at Head Start programs housed in religious organizations could immediately be fired because of their faith.

*Children would lose beloved teachers and parent volunteers, with whom they have established trusting, emotional bonds.

*A dangerous precedent would be set. An individual’s religion, not merit or professional qualifications, would be the most important factor for these Tax-payer funded jobs.

The Congressional recess is an important time to remind lawmakers about our concerns. Those who support this kind of religious discrimination are working hard this summer to get their agenda enacted into law when Congress returns. It is up to us to preserve the religious and personal freedoms that we often take for granted.

Urge your Representatives to vote NO on Boehner's amendment to the School Readiness Act (H.R. 2123)

[China_cat]

1. First you get rid of the teachers who don't subscribe

to your religion and then how long is it before you stop allowing children to attend based on their parents' religion?

[wli]

2. I give it a few months, maybe instantly after this passes.