October 6, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 174 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SUPPORTING H.R. 8472

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 6, 2020

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of swift passage 
of H.R. 8472, the Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act, my legislation 
with Representative Dusty Johnson to ensure school districts with high 
numbers of military-connected children are not further financially 
impacted by the coronavirus's devastation. This bipartisan, bicameral 
bill would allow school districts to use their last student headcount 
on upcoming applications for federal Impact Aid rather than conduct a 
student audit during this highly unusual and disruptive school year, 
and would eliminate the risk losing funding due to an undercount.
  Impact Aid supports school districts that encompass large amounts of 
federal land such as military installations and tribal land, and 
ensures they have the resources they need that would otherwise come 
from local taxes. With this school year's unprecedented complexities, 
our bill would relieve these districts' already overburdened 
administrators and staff of one labor intensive requirement, and ensure 
that they receive the full amount of Impact Aid payments they need to 
support our military and tribal students.
  In my district in Eastern Connecticut, the Ledyard and Groton school 
districts rely on Impact Aid as a key funding source. As schools are 
under immense pressure to keep kids learning in new formats this year, 
these funds are more crucial than ever, and this bill would ensure that 
schools can count on them.
  I thank my counterparts in the Senate for their work to build on the 
original proposal by including the Migrant Education Program as well, 
which requires a similar student count. This addition ensures that 
children of migrant agricultural workers receive the full public 
education they are entitled to.
  Many thanks as well to Chairman Bobby Scott of the Education and 
Labor Committee for his support of this legislation. I urge the Senate 
to pass this bill without delay.

                          ____________________