Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-05-21

RECOGNIZING 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF HEAD START

HealthcareEconomyForeign PolicyDefenseIsraelLabor

Context

On 2026-05-21, Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12) delivered a floor speech titled "RECOGNIZING 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF HEAD START" in the House.

Full Text

RECOGNIZING 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF HEAD START

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026)] [House] [Page H3677] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF HEAD START (Ms. Tlaib of Michigan was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, this week marks 61 years of Head Start, one of the most transformative antipoverty programs in our Nation's history. For more than six decades, Head Start has given millions of children a fair shot by providing early education, meals, healthcare, and support for working families. It showed that every child, no matter their ZIP Code or income, mattered. Today, Republicans have cut and chronically underfunded this program, threatening the lifeline for families across the country. Instead of investing in billionaires and endless wars, we should be investing in our children. I am calling on my colleagues to support and pass our Head Start for America's Children Act, as we mark 61 years of this successful program. This bill would expand access to 11 million more eligible young children nationwide. Eleven million children across our country are eligible, but there are not enough spots. We would also be raising wages for our educators and strengthening support services for our families. Mr. Speaker, we all know that Head Start works, so let's invest in this program. It is an anchor, not only for the child but for the whole family. Stand for Saving Lives Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, over 3,000 people in Lebanon have been slaughtered since the start of the Israeli apartheid regime's brutal war on all of Lebanon. More than 1.2 million people have been displaced violently. That is over 20 percent of Lebanon's entire population. We cannot stay silent while innocent civilians are being exposed to white phosphorus bombs that melt flesh to the bone. Inaction is not an option, Mr. Speaker. That is why I will be forcing a vote on the War Powers Resolution to end U.S. support of Israel's indiscriminate bombings in Lebanon. We all know what doing nothing looks like, and we are witnessing right now a repeat playbook of the Israeli military's actions in Gaza. Entire families are being erased in Lebanon, villages and cities turned into rubble. Targeting of civilians has continued to be increasing, as well as the targeting of medics and journalists. The United States is not a bystander to these war crimes. It is an active participant. Our government is providing intelligence and coordinating strikes, and the American people are tired of watching their tax dollars fuel death, destruction, and endless war. They are tired of hearing that we don't have money for healthcare or childcare at home, while watching U.S. bombs destroy hospitals and steal the futures of children abroad. Mr. Speaker, this war powers vote is clear, and it is a moral choice. Do you stand for saving lives, or do you stand for endless wars? Ending Child Poverty Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we have some of the highest rates of poverty among our children. As of 2024, more than 9.7 million children have lived in poverty in the United States. That is a 154-percent increase since 2021. Imagine if our government invested in the well-being of our children like they invest in wars? Congress has the power and the money to end child poverty today, feed every single one of our children today, and make sure that every opportunity that they need to succeed is available today. Instead, we are debating $1 billion to Trump for a ballroom that no one asked for, while defunding and destroying Federal programs that help our children get fed, clothed, housed, and educated. The hardship, food insecurity, health issues, and instability that poverty causes is impacting families throughout my district and throughout our country. Mr. Speaker, I am calling on my colleagues to support Representative Jacobs and my end poverty resolution and support the most vulnerable population. ____________________

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RECOGNIZING 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF HEAD START Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026)] [House] [Page H3677] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF HEAD START (Ms. Tlaib of Michigan was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, this week marks 61 years of Head Start, one of the most transformative antipoverty programs in our Nation's history. For more than six decades, Head Start has given millions of children a fair shot by providing early education, meals, healthcare, and support for working families. It showed that every child, no matter their ZIP Code or income, mattered. Today, Republicans have cut and chronically underfunded this program, threatening the lifeline for families across the country. Instead of investing in billionaires and endless wars, we should be investing in our children. I am calling on my colleagues to support and pass our Head Start for America's Children Act, as we mark 61 years of this successful program. This bill would expand access to 11 million more eligible young children nationwide. Eleven million children across our country are eligible, but there are not enough spots. We would also be raising wages for our educators and strengthening support services for our families. Mr. Speaker, we all know that Head Start works, so let's invest in this program. It is an anchor, not only for the child but for the whole family. Stand for Saving Lives Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, over 3,000 people in Lebanon have been slaughtered since the start of the Israeli apartheid regime's brutal war on all of Lebanon. More than 1.2 million people have been displaced violently. That is over 20 percent of Lebanon's entire population. We cannot stay silent while innocent civilians are being exposed to white phosphorus bombs that melt flesh to the bone. Inaction is not an option, Mr. Speaker. That is why I will be forcing a vote on the War Powers Resolution to end U.S. support of Israel's indiscriminate bombings in Lebanon. We all know what doing nothing looks like, and we are witnessing right now a repeat playbook of the Israeli military's actions in Gaza. Entire families are being erased in Lebanon, villages and cities turned into rubble. Targeting of civilians has continued to be increasing, as well as the targeting of medics and journalists. The United States is not a bystander to these war crimes. It is an active participant. Our government is providing intelligence and coordinating strikes, and the American people are tired of watching their tax dollars fuel death, destruction, and endless war. They are tired of hearing that we don't have money for healthcare or childcare at home, while watching U.S. bombs destroy hospitals and steal the futures of children abroad. Mr. Speaker, this war powers vote is clear, and it is a moral choice. Do you stand for saving lives, or do you stand for endless wars? Ending Child Poverty Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we have some of the highest rates of poverty among our children. As of 2024, more than 9.7 million children have lived in poverty in the United States. That is a 154-percent increase since 2021. Imagine if our government invested in the well-being of our children like they invest in wars? Congress has the power and the money to end child poverty today, feed every single one of our children today, and make sure that every opportunity that they need to succeed is available today. Instead, we are debating $1 billion to Trump for a ballroom that no one asked for, while defunding and destroying Federal programs that help our children get fed, clothed, housed, and educated. The hardship, food insecurity, health issues, and instability that poverty causes is impacting families throughout my district and throughout our country. Mr. Speaker, I am calling on my colleagues to support Representative Jacobs and my end poverty resolution and support the most vulnerable population. ____________________