Dear Concerned Citizens of America,
The recent vote in the House last Friday highlighted that the party divide in the 114th Congress runs deep. Despite impassioned appeals for national education standards as a human right and widespread concern over the particularities of HR 10, the bill passed with a vote along party lines. It appears as if members entered the building that morning with their minds already made up, ready to register a party-line vote instead of reaching a well-informed decision after hearing both sides of the debate. Will this trend continue throughout this session? I hope it does not.
The passage of HR 10, a bill to remove federal funding for Common Core, indicated that the fate of this nation’s children matters less to many members of Congress than a chance to make budget cuts. As the proud mother of three boys, I am ashamed to look them in the eyes and say that this Congress didn’t care enough to fund their pursuit of knowledge. States who have already sought to implement Common Core are now abandoned, left without the resources to finish what they started. These states must now bear the burden.
America, let me state now unequivocally that when it came to valuing education, the Democratic Party stood united to give the students, teachers, and schools of this great nation the voice they deserve in Congress. We appealed to Congress to refrain from passing a bill that hurt far more than it helped. I am sad to announce that not a single Republican even abstained from voting for the bill. More concerned to stand with their party leadership than with the nuanced opinions of the American people, they hurriedly passed a flawed bill without question. Americans who care about education, take this chance to express your disapproval of a majority party that remains out of touch with the American people!
Sincerely,
Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson
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