Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. FLAKE. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

This is a fascinating discussion we are having here. The gentleman who spoke a while ago said, because this is a lottery and because not every one of the children who wants in this program can get in the program, it represents not a choice but a chance. I can tell you a lot of these kids will settle for a chance. I mean, give them a chance. Give them a choice, a chance, whatever. Just give them the opportunity, however slim it might be. The fact that they only have a chance and that not all of them can get in the program speaks about the demand for the program. It speaks about how many people actually need it and value it and want it, and we ought to expand it further and give more individuals a chance.

I live in an area where there are pretty good public schools. My children--I have five of them--have either been in the public schools or are currently in the public schools. Those public schools are better because of the competition around them. We have a robust charter school program in Arizona. There are lots of them around. There are many choices for kids to have. The public schools my kids attend are better for it, and the same will hold true in D.C. as well.

If you want to improve the public schools where most children typically attend, then offer a choice and a chance. Competition and accountability does that. It does it all across the economy. It does it in every other phase of our lives. Why we say it won't happen in public education is just beyond me.

So I commend those who have put this bill forward. I wholeheartedly support it. I was involved several years ago in crafting the original one, and I am very pleased to support this today. This will be good for all kids.

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