Neal Dunn: “I respect the gentlewoman from Maryland's opinions but I disagree with them. Today I rise to say that the District of…”

“I respect the gentlewoman from Maryland's opinions but I disagree with them. Today I rise to say that the District of Columbia's students and their parents ought to have a choice. Americans have differing opinions on many issues today but we all want our children to have the world's best education. That is precisely why I support educational choice scholarships for D.C. students. Tuition scholarships offer real educational opportunities to families whose children simply do not have the option of attending the best schools possible. The Democrat substitute before us today would deny educational choice to poor working families in the District, and that is why we should oppose it. The scholarship opportunities provided in our bill offer hope to children who are now confined to failing, often violence-filled public schools. Passing our bill into law will mean that low income families will be able to send their children to public or private schools that are successful, and that the District's struggling public schools will be compelled to compete and then get better in order to attract students. In short, parents must have a choice if the District's children are to have a chance. Parents should be able to hold schools accountable. For instance, D.C. parents know that 85 percent of the District's public school graduates who enter the University of the District of Columbia need 2 years of remedial education before beginning to earn their degrees.”