SCHAKOWSKY WORKS WITH COLLEAGUES TO PRESERVE BIPARTISAN BUDGET DEAL. CALLS ON REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP TO HONOR AGREEMENT

CALLS ON REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP TO HONOR AGREEMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today joined Representatives Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and others to call on the Republican Leadership to honor a bipartisan agreement to fund labor, health and education priorities.

Below is Schakowsky's statement from today's news conference.

"What we see happening in Congress is the Texas two step - Republicans take a small step to the left and then move way back to the right. They agree to one thing and then a few hours later change their minds and say no.

"Before the election, they toasted a bipartisan deal to increase funding for education and health care programs by $18 billion. But before the music stopped, they walked off the dance floor. Now, they want to shortchange the American people by funding critical health, labor and education programs at last year's levels. This means:

• school districts will not be able to hire 12,000 new teachers to reduce class size;

• local schools in our districts will be denied $1 billion for repairs and renovations;

• 70,000 fewer students would participate in Head Start;

• 150,000 fewer children from low-income homes will not receive child care;

• 80,000 individuals will not receive training and employment services; and

• $1.4 billion less for Pell grants.

"No one on this side of the aisle is leaving this dance until we give the American people what they deserve; better schools, more teachers, investment in health care, job training and first rate education."