[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 130 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H7839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             SCHOOL CHOICE GAINING SUPPORT AMONG MINORITIES

  (Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, the Secretary of Education 
believes giving low income parents the ability to send their children 
to a better and safer school is, ``a simplistic world view and dead 
wrong.'' But recent polls show that school choice is gaining support in 
America, especially among minorities. A recent study shows that 57 
percent of African-Americans and 65 percent of Hispanics support school 
choice. I am surprised the administration is coming out against such a 
commonsense idea. Secretary Riley made it clear that low income 
families will not be helped by this administration.
  Now let me make it clear that we in Congress will continue to push 
for school choice. See, we do not believe the President should be the 
only person in public housing with the opportunity to send his child to 
a better school.

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