State Representative Roberta Willis (D-64th District) and State Representative Michelle Cook (D-Torrington) were both honored as a “Children’s Champion” by members of the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance for their commitment to early childhood issues in their districts and at the state Capitol. They were recognized by the group at a ceremony held Thursday at the State Capitol.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance for this honor,” Rep. Willis said. “Members of the organization deserve great credit for their work in behalf of children. We must continue to implement and expand programs that prepare our children for early education and nurture their appetite for learning as they grow older.”
“This ceremony doesn’t signal a shift from our focus on children ” Rep. Cook said. “I’m glad to receive this honor and I look forward to working on many more pieces of legislation that make quality education and care available to many more children in Connecticut.”
Representative Willis and Representative Cook have been active in the Torrington Early Childhood Collaborative (TECC), a group of passionate individuals who foster a tradition of coming together for the benefit of children. Through a variety of small work groups comprised of parents, educators, healthcare providers, state and local government, business, faith-based and other community providers, TECC strives to increase awareness of, and involvement in, the many opportunities for preparing children to enter school as health, eager learners.
Shaun McNally, CT Early Childhood Executive Director, praised both lawmakers “for their commitment to early childhood development and support of organizations that improve the lives of Connecticut’s children.”
The Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance is a group of organizations and individuals committed to improving developmental outcomes in the areas of learning, health, safety and economic security for children ages birth to eight. Over 4,000 individuals in Connecticut support the Alliance as Friends. The member organizations employ over 3,000 Connecticut residents and provide care and education for nearly 20,000 children.
Categories: MICHELLE COOK · ROBERTA WILLIS
In its mark of the National Defense Authorization Act, the Senate Committee on Armed Services adopted an amendment introduced by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (ID-CT) that will give the Secretary of Defense new authority to grow the U.S. Army by an additional 30,000 active duty soldiers. The bill provides the new authority for fiscal years 2011 and 2012, and the Secretary of Defense has the necessary authorities to begin growing the force toward that goal.
“The number of deployed soldiers is set to rise through the rest of this year, and signs of stress in the force are all too evident,” Lieberman said. “I am proud that the committee has decided to give the Army authority to grow, and call upon the Secretary of Defense to act immediately to do so. Increasing the number of soldiers is an essential first step to easing the burden on the overall force.”
In recent months, Lieberman has argued that the only way to reduce stress on the force will be to add new soldiers. Senator Lieberman wrote in a June 15th op-ed published in Defense News: “We know the demand for greater Army end-strength is real and urgent. The number of deployed soldiers will increase into next year because we will be sending more troops to win the war in Afghanistan before a large number of soldiers begin to return from Iraq. If all goes according to plan, the strain on the force will begin to ease by 2011, and the size of the Army can be reduced. But, while the need is greater, Army end-strength must be increased.”
In a parallel effort, the Senate Armed Service Committee’s report to Congress also requires the Secretary of the Army to submit a study on the impact of the decision to reduce the size of the active duty force from 48 to 45 planned brigades at a time when the demand for troops is increasing.
Categories: LIEBERMAN
