Political Quotes

“I have just come from a hearing on school vouchers, and I appreciate that I was given the opportunity to participate in the hearing because the hearing involved only the District of Columbia. I am left to wonder why the majority does not bring a voucher bill forward for the people of the United States of America, but picks only on one jurisdiction, the one that has voted at the highest rate--89 percent--against vouchers. I want to thank the Catholic Archdiocese as well as others who support charter schools for coming. The gentleman from California (Mr. Riggs), chairman of the committee, is the major sponsor of the Riggs-Roemer bill which brought the House together on both sides on the notion of school choice involving public charter schools. I am very appreciative of the Washington Scholarship Fund. It is a private group that has put its money where its mouth is. It has not walked up and down the halls of Congress lobbying to get Congress to spend money which it knows the Congress is not going to be able to spend, but has simply come forward with the money on its own and now has raised money for scholarships in the District, for kids who want to go. I want to thank Arlene Ackerman, who is the new chief academic officer. She is a piece of work. She is already doing it, not just talking it. Our kids will be reading the equivalent of 25 books each next year.”