Burgess Owens: “in his first month, the President called together all Members of the Congress to support a bipartisan education bill. He…”

“in his first month, the President called together all Members of the Congress to support a bipartisan education bill. He said that he was willing to do two things: promise additional funding for education of no less than $6 billion, and he was also willing to take vouchers off the table as a part of Federal policy. Now, we hear the Republican majority sneaking vouchers back onto the table. They are going to reinstitute the drive of the Republican majority to privatize education. When the Republicans took control of the Congress, there were two former Secretaries of Education who reported to testify at our Committee on Education and the Workforce, Secretary Bennett and Secretary Alexander. They wanted to abolish the Department of Education. And because there was such a public outcry against the abolishment of the Department of Education and against the low profile of the Federal Government in education, Republicans decided to turn that around and camouflage their intent. They pretend now to be advocates of public education while guerilla warfare behind the scenes goes on. And what we see now is an act of sabotage where vouchers are put back on the table at a time when education reform is already in great trouble.”