Newt Gingrich: “I am a little fed up with Democrats who come in here and say, well, you all do not want to save the public schools. Let…”

“I am a little fed up with Democrats who come in here and say, well, you all do not want to save the public schools. Let me make two points. First of all, I went to public school. My children went to public school. My wife went to public school. We have lived our personal commitment. I have taught in a public high school. The gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Goodling] spent years of his career in public schools as a teacher, as a coach, as a counselor, as a principal. We are committed to public school, and we live it. Our children have been there. But we also do not believe children should be destroyed on the altar of a union and children should be destroyed on the altar of a bureaucracy. Notice what this rule does, because I think the gentleman ought to be fair about this. This rule brings to the floor the charter school bill to help public schools. That is coming to the floor under this rule. So a 'yes' vote here is not an antipublic school vote. A 'yes' vote here is a pro public school, pro charter school vote, and a positive vote for those children and those parents trapped in bad neighborhoods that the system has not reformed.”