Advancing America First Policies

Floor Speech

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Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Utah for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, the United States spends more money per student than any country in the world, yet among developed nations, we sadly rank near the bottom in educational outcomes.

Mr. Speaker, 70 percent of eighth graders, 70 percent, Mr. Speaker, aren't proficient in reading or math according to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Believe it or not, and it gives me no joy to say this, there are reports that say 54 percent of Americans cannot read at a sixth-grade level. This is not just disappointing; this is indeed a national failure.

At this point, the Department of Education just doesn't need reform, it needs a complete overhaul.

In the last 5 years, the Department of Education has spent over $1 trillion with no measurable gains. Under President Biden its spending surged over 200 percent from $71 billion in 2019 to $268 billion last year.

At the same time, the Biden administration's love of excessive regulations imposed an additional 4.2 million hours of paperwork burdens on schools pulling teachers and administrators away from what matters most--the students.

President Reagan said back in 1982, and President Trump has recently echoed, that we need to turn the schools back to the States and to the local school districts. President Reagan rightly noted that `` . . . the decline and the quality of public education began when Federal aid became Federal interference.''

Fortunately, President Trump and Secretary McMahon are committed to returning control of education back to the States where it belongs and empowering parents, local leaders, and definitely teachers, but putting funding and decisionmaking back in the hands of States is just one piece of the puzzle.

If we truly want to improve student outcomes, we must embrace school choice and voucher programs, something my home State Governor's office in Pennsylvania still refuses to do.

School choice States have flourished. Florida, Indiana, Utah, and Ohio now rank among the best performing K-12 systems in the country. President Trump recognizes the importance of school choice, issuing an executive order directing the Department of Education to guide States on how to use Federal funds for K-12 scholarship programs.

It also instructs the Education Secretary to prioritize school choice when awarding discretionary grants. That is real leadership focused on students, not bureaucracy.

To that end, I am pleased to support H.R. 833, the Educational Choice for Children Act, which offers a Federal tax credit to encourage charitable donations toward scholarships that help families cover K-12 expenses, tuition, books, supplies, and more.

This bill is expected to benefit over 2 million students nationwide, opening the door to better opportunities whether in public, private, religious, or homeschool settings.

Unfortunately, forward-thinking solutions like this are not being considered in my home State of Pennsylvania where there are some families that feel trapped in a system that puts bureaucracy before students.

We cannot allow the status quo to be accepted.

School choice works, Mr. Speaker, and what are these politicians afraid of? I went to a public school, and I had some great teachers. My son went to public high school, and he had some great teachers, but not all of them were.

We need accountability. Parents and children must come first. Reforms are needed, not a year from now, not 5 years from now, but right now. This is critical. We are failing far too many young people.

Education is the foundation of a better life, a stronger economy, and a more advanced society, yet we continue allowing too many students to fall behind.

A child only gets one chance at a quality education. The time for change is now, and thankfully we have a President who puts students, families, and results first. President Trump and his administration will deliver for our students and for their futures.

The executive orders returning education authority to the States not only prioritizes school choice, it also ensures that vital services and benefits continue without disruption during the transition.

That is how we reform education the right way: by empowering parents, protecting students, and putting our educational life and results ahead of regulation.

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