Bill to Overhaul Head Start Program Going to Senate After Gaining House Approval
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON July 25 —
After a rough road through the House, the remaking of the Head Start program is heading to the Senate, where leaders must decide whether they, too, want to shift preschool power to some states.
The House put its mark on the landmark education program early Friday, voting by a hair-thin 217-216 margin to give up to eight states control over Head Start so they can coordinate it with other programs. The White House backs the idea.
Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., who chairs the Senate Education Committee, has expressed interest in upgrading the states' role but has not committed to the House plan. He also wants a bipartisan bill, and several Senate Democrats say they won't back the legislation if it experiments with state control over the long-standing federal program.
The House raised another issue that faces an uncertain fate in the Senate: a move to let religious-oriented Head Start centers hire people based on their faith, such as a Catholic center that only wants to hire Catholics.
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http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20030725_127.htmlRoll No. 444: Ayes 217 Noes 216
Republicans voting in the affirmative (12): Duncan, Frelinghuysen, Johnson (CT), Johnson (IL), LaTourette, Leach, Lucas (OK), Paul, Ramstad, Simmons, and Walsh.
No Democrat voted in the negative.
Members not voting (2): Gephardt and Pastor.
IF EVERY MEMBER HAD BEEN THERE, WE WOULD HAVE WON THE VOTE 217-218. :grr: