'You Should Be Terrified': Josh Harder Presses Sec. McMahon On Gutting Head Start Reading Programs

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During a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA) spoke about cuts to Head Start reading programs.

Transcript

00:00Mr. Harder. Thank you so much. And Secretary McMahon, thank you for being here. I want to talk

00:10about early childhood education. I probably think more about early childhood development than some

00:15of my colleagues because I'm still living it every day. I have two young daughters, Lillian

00:20and Karina, ages three and one. Like millions of parents, I know firsthand how critical access to

00:26early learning is, not just for kids, but for working families and the future of our communities.

00:31Secretary McMahon, do you believe every child deserves access to a high quality early childhood

00:36education? I believe that every child deserves access to a high quality, equal access to education.

00:44Great. And I think we agree. I think every child and every family should be able to enroll their kids

00:49in high quality, safe preschools. As you know, research shows that children who attend preschool

00:55are 18% more likely to go to college than those who didn't. We know that early childhood education

01:01shapes lifelong outcomes. It impacts literacy, graduation rates, employment, even health and

01:05public safety. These are real facts. But I'm concerned about what's happening with Head Start,

01:12a program that makes preschool reality for over 800,000 families. I know this technically falls

01:17under HHS, but as Secretary of Education, I can imagine you'd care deeply about this topic as

01:21you're responsible for the future of every kid in America. Have you discussed Head Start funding

01:27with the administration and the budget? And what are your views on what's happening with the current

01:32freezes and the challenges with the Head Start program?

01:36I've not had conversations with the Department of HHS. And so, no, they're not part of my budget

01:47considerations at this point. Do you have a view on whether or not preschool through Head Start is

01:53important as a grounds for a student's education? I think the earlier we can start education, the better

01:59it is for every child. I look at mothers who spend time with their children, you know, reading to them

02:06when other children may not have that benefit. I think those children definitely have an advantage,

02:11and you'd like to see that. But I don't think that the federal government has the responsibility

02:15for that. I think that that should be looked at more in state budgets and how states can best set

02:21up their programs. I hear you. I did a lot of reading with my daughters and continue to do so.

02:28But did I understand that you do not believe that the federal government should be supporting programs

02:33like Head Start, and that should be the job of other organizations and states and parents?

02:39Well, currently, it is the responsibility of a different agency, and I'm sure that they are looking

02:43at what aspects they are funding as they go through their budget process.

02:48Well, I think this has real implications on the work that you do. This is a cornerstone of American education,

02:53and I think that what's happening with Head Start is very concerning. We're seeing these delays,

03:01these freezes that ultimately hurt kids. We've seen Head Start schools close across the country because

03:07they only have three days of funding right now. Every Head Start program in the country has three days of funding.

03:12And I think that is going to have an implication on our kids' ability to read, write, and do math.

03:18And so I would think, as the Secretary of Education, that you should have a perspective on this and a real goal

03:24towards committing to the parents of Head Start students in my district across the country to fight

03:29to make sure that this program is fully funded. Is that something that you believe in, that this program

03:34should be funded and pushing back on any attempt to cut it?

03:36I'm going to let the department and the agencies that are responsible for those parts of the budget

03:42do their job. I think it has an implication for the Department of Education that is real. Let me tell

03:47you what's at stake. In my district, 1,600 kids rely on Head Start. This is the first type of education

03:52that any student receives. And I think passing it off on some other department is unacceptable because we know

03:58that Head Start students are 13 percentage points less likely to commit a crime. They're more likely

04:03to graduate high school, less likely to experience a teen pregnancy. This is our kids' futures. And our

04:08entire communities are lifted up because of this program. So I think saying that this part of the

04:12education system isn't your responsibility doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I think you should

04:17be terrified at the idea of Head Start being gutted because it's going to have major ramifications on our

04:22students' ability to have the future that we want. It's your duty to make sure that programs like this

04:28continue. And so I hope that you see that our kids aren't line items. They're not pawns in a political

04:33game. They're not disposable. And that we need to make sure that Head Start is continuing to be strong

04:39and that cuts like the ones we've seen over the last couple months don't happen if we're going to be

04:43able to make sure that every quid has quality education in the United States. I hope you remember that.

04:48And I yield back.

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