Richard K. Armey: “Washington, D.C., has some very, very good schools, has some exceptionally good public schools, and it has some…”

“Washington, D.C., has some very, very good schools, has some exceptionally good public schools, and it has some exceptionally good private schools. Unfortunately, the city also has some exceptionally bad schools where we have too many young children that are caught in circumstances that would almost say they have no opportunity for anything but failure. Those of us that have met these children have understood what one always understands when one meets a child: This is a very, very special and precious person. We have seen too many cases of children that have the ability, that have the energy, that have the hopes and the dreams that are coupled with the same on the part of their parents and punctuated with prayers for a better opportunity for this child, for us to turn our back on these children. Mr. Speaker, we will bring to consideration for this body again a bill that would allow scholarships for choice for those families that are disadvantaged so they, like so many more wealthy families, particularly here in D.C. and across the country, could exercise their opportunity to take their child out of a school that is failing that child and move that child to a school where the child will have their hopes and dreams and abilities recognized and nourished.”