WASHINGTON (AP)House Republican leaders say action remains imminent on their Head Start plan -- including devolving some responsibility to the states -- although opponents say a delayed vote is a sign the bill is in trouble.
At issue is the direction of the federal preschool program for the poor that has helped roughly 20 million children with social, behavioral, nutritional and literacy development.
The House bill would give up to eight states greater authority over Head Start so they can better coordinate it with other child-education efforts. That experiment -- part of a broader update of the federal program -- has drawn intense opposition from advocates who believe Head Start standards and spending will suffer.
Republicans, who hold a majority in the House, had planned a Friday vote on the bill. But they pulled back when it was clear they may not have the votes, as a "significant" number of Republican members are expected to be out of town, House leaders said. ---
One of those factors, Democratic leaders say, was Republicans who don't back the plan.
"It's much easier to tell people you've got a logistical problem than it is to say you don't have enough votes to pass the bill," said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. "I think that's cover."
A vote next week, Hoyer said, would require GOP leaders to "change the minds of a significant number of Republicans." As the bill stands, he said, Democrats won't go for it. ---
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