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| Date: From: Subject: | 10/9/2008 10:45:08 AM Home School Legal Defense Association HSLDA: Update on Costly Federal Early Education Spending Bill |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== October 8, 2008 HSLDA: Update on Costly Federal Early Education Spending Bill Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, Congress has recessed and left Washington, D.C. H.R. 2343, the Education Begins at Home Act, never came up for a vote on the House floor. Thank you for your calls. They were successful and helped to educate members of Congress and their staff about the concerns with this bill. It is no longer necessary to call your representative about H.R. 2343. We will keep you updated if Congress returns for a lame duck session after Election Day, and if they schedule H.R. 2343 for a vote on the House floor at that time. However, if you see your U.S. representative or senator or their staff in your state at a campaign event, please use that opportunity to tell them about your concerns with H.R. 2343, and with the federal government expanding its role in early education. Thank you for standing with us for liberty. Sincerely, Mike Smith HSLDA President BACKGROUND H.R. 2343, the Education Begins at Home Act, seeks to expand the Head Start Early Home Visitation program to supposedly "educate" parents of children from newborns to 5-year-olds on parenting strategies. Despite the bill's seemingly homeschool friendly title, the legislation is actually yet another "big government" encroachment into the sphere of education. The federal government will give grant money to the states to create and expand early education programs. If passed, this bill would literally open the door for government employees to work from inside private homes to impose unelected officials' educational agendas, which may prove offensive and contrary to many families' moral and religious beliefs. Although at this point enrollment in the home visitation program is voluntary, government programs almost always grow beyond their original scope when bills are amended by future Congresses. This intrusive and unnecessary legislation comes at a whopping starting cost of more than $190 million -- a burden that will be incurred by already struggling American taxpayers. Some have expressed concern that this program would help struggling families and is strictly voluntary, and thus should not be opposed by homeschoolers. However, the history of the federal government's role in education is one in which programs start off small and mushroom far beyond their original scope. If the federal government provides funds to the states to create or expand early education, the potential would exist for the states to create early education programs that may not be voluntary. In addition, it is our philosophy that churches and private entities should help struggling families, not the government. When the government gets involved, it is almost always more expensive, burdensome, and fraught with peril to individual freedom, than having private organizations provide the same help. H.R 2343 has been placed on the House Calendar, and could be quickly scheduled for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives if Congress decides to come back for a lame duck session after Election Day. While this is unlikely, it is a certainty that we will see another version of H.R. 2343 and more early education proposals in the 111th Congress next year. For more information on H.R. 2343 and the dangers of early education, please visit http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=5606 . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Is customer service an art or a science? For us, good customer service is both an art and a science -it should appeal to our members and be effective. Consider what our members say about us: We're thankful for the support HSLDA membership provides us. We'd never homeschool without them. We highly recommend HSLDA to all homeschoolers. - North Tonawanda, NY I cannot imagine our homeschool journey without HSLDA's strong leadership, protection, and guidance. God bless HSLDA! - Alta Loma, California More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1940 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
