John Kline: “I thank Chairman Chaffetz for yielding the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of the SOAR Reauthorization…”

“I thank Chairman Chaffetz for yielding the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of the SOAR Reauthorization Act, which will renew our vital investment in the children who live in the District of Columbia. In passing the Every Student Succeeds Act last year, we took important steps to support and encourage greater school choice for students and their families. These reforms empower parents to do what is best for their children's education, and they help ensure that all children are able to receive the excellent education they deserve regardless of their family's background, income, or ZIP Code. Helping students escape failing schools so they can pursue brighter futures is an important priority, and that is exactly what the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program does for children in our Nation's Capital. For more than 10 years now, the program has enabled thousands of students to pursue the quality education necessary to excel both in the classroom and later in life--and excel they do. In fact, last year, 90 percent of 12th graders who received a scholarship through the program graduated from high school, and nearly 90 percent of them, Mr. Speaker, went on to pursue college degrees. The traditional D.C. public school system can make no such claim. These are very impressive results.…”