Washington, DC – On Thursday, June 12th, advocates and Congressional leaders came together in support of national school choice and inclusion of a K-12 tax credit in the reconciliation package. A school choice tax credit would bring school choice to all 50 states and deliver on President Trump’s mission to send education back to the states and enact universal school choice.
School choice advocates and beneficiaries joined Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) at a press event on Capitol Hill.
Quotes from event speakers (full press conference is here):
Walter Blanks, Jr. (Ohio EdChoice Scholarship Recipient and School Choice Advocate):
When I was in 6th grade, my principal told my mother to wait five years for the school to turn around and improve. My mother said in five years, Walter will either be in jail or in a body bag, and we do not have time for either of those.
Thanks to Ohio school choice program, neither of those things happened. Instead of being limited by circumstances, I was given a lifeline. That lifeline led me to the White House where I had the opportunity to sit beside President Trump and share how school choice transformed my life. I thanked him for standing up for students like me and thanked him for his continued support for bringing school to choice to every state.
Congress: THIS is your moment. Include the school choice tax credit in the Reconciliation package and do it now. Get school choice to President Trump’s desk, give him a chance to enact his education agenda. He is a big supporter of school choice along with most Americans.
Tera Myers (Samuel’s Mom and Founder of Moms on a Mission, Advocating for School Choice and Special Needs Students)
Twenty five years ago, I went to my state’s legislature to ask for access to a quality education for my son Samuel, who is here with me today. Samuel was born with Down Syndrome, has multiple disabilities, and required an IEP for his education.
When he was ready to start school, I was told to go home, take the 6.5-hour break, and let them do what they do. I quickly found out they didn’t plan on educating Samuel to his potential; they planned on babysitting him. Samuel didn’t need a babysitter; he needed an education that fit his needs. As his mother, I needed options to make it happen.
We have a crisis on our hands, and the house is burning down. Today I am asking Congress to send the water to put out the fire and let parents take their rightful role in directing their children’s education.
I am asking, on behalf of all the other Samuels in this nation, to pass the most substantial federal tax credit scholarship.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX):
We're here gathered today standing united in support of the children of America. School choice, I have long believed, is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. Every single child in America deserves the right to have access to an excellent education. And that is regardless of race, regardless of ethnicity, regardless of wealth, regardless of zip code.
This puts parents in the driver's seat. The person who knows best what is right for your child is a mom and dad. This empowers parents to make the best choices.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA):
We want kids to succeed. President Trump wants kids to succeed. And it provides, as Ted said, an incentive for someone to put money into a scholarship fund. By the way, if you're in a state that just frowns upon that, wants to trap kids in schools which aren't working well, there's a way to bypass that governor and make sure that this money is still available, and that's an incredibly positive thing.
Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT):
The big, beautiful bill is all about one thing, my friends, to build a more perfect union. And that more perfect union begins with us investing in our children. Our return investment will be, very simply, these kids that run circles around us and parents and grandparents, and you should be so proud that we're part of that process.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL):
School choice is a civil rights issue of our time. Right now, we have a responsibility here in Washington to do for parents all across America what they wanted -- to help their children -- give them the opportunity to let their children succeed -- give them the opportunity to let their children rise.
Let's make sure we strengthen the provisions of ECCA. Let's make sure parents have multiple years, at least 10 years, so that they can actually go through the process and really find out the best environment for their children.
The time is now. We can get it done. We have the vehicle and one big, beautiful bill to get it done. I would really call on my colleagues both in the House and Senate. Let's step up to the plate. Let's strengthen the ECCA even more so that parents have every opportunity to help their children succeed.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH):
If you think moms and dads are best equipped to pick where their kids go to school, you're gonna be good on tax cuts because you want moms and dads to have more of their money to go after their goals and dreams and help their kids. That is the defining issue. You want someone good to run for office, find out where they are on school choice. And if they're for empowering parents, they're going to be good.
This legislation empowers moms and dads, not the government. It gives the choice to parents not bureaucrats.
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI):
To parents who love their kids, who want the best for their kids, who want their communities to grow and achieve, who want their educational institutions to be valuable to the future of this country -- they'll finally say we've had enough; we're going to change it around as well and be like other states like Florida and say we're going to trust our parents to make those good choices. And frankly, this is a start.
About AFC:
The American Federation for Children is the nation’s largest school choice advocacy organization and the most successful force for education freedom in America, passing over 200 laws across 32 states throughout our history. Our affiliated Super PAC, AFC Victory Fund, is the only nationwide Super PAC focused on advancing school choice.
