“I thank Chairman Harkin and the Subcommittee for producing a bill that makes strong investments in education, including early learning programs. With today’s action, the Subcommittee has taken the first steps to recognize the important need for investing in high-quality preschool programs. Providing families with this tremendous opportunity for kids to excel will be critical to our national success for decades to come.”

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan responding to the Senate appropriations committee’s vote to invest in early childhood education, July, 2013