Luke Messer: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise in support today of H.R. 10, the Scholarships for Opportunity and…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise in support today of H.R. 10, the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act. I want to commend Speaker Boehner for introducing this important legislation and thank him for a lifetime of extraordinary leadership on this issue. Throughout his speakership and under his leadership as a former chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Speaker Boehner improved educational opportunities for all students. Literally thousands of kids have access to the American Dream because of his dedication to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. As chairman of the Congressional School Choice Caucus, I was honored to have Speaker Boehner keynote a rally earlier this year with hundreds of Opportunity Scholarship recipients. I have to tell you, I am amazed at some of the rhetoric that I have been hearing today, talking about it is disgraceful that this legislation is before you. I will tell you what is disgraceful. It is disgraceful that any child in America has to go to a terrible school, and it is disgraceful that anyone would say that we should do anything but make sure that every one of these kids has an opportunity to go somewhere where they will have a chance to succeed. Every child deserves equal access to a great education. Lots of kids have great public school options in America. Other families can afford to send their kids to private school if they don't have a great public school option.…”