[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 74 (Wednesday, June 10, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S6115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        GENEROSITY OF ENTREPRENEURS LEADS WAY FOR SCHOOL CHOICE

   Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, due to the generosity of two 
entrepreneurs, the children of Kansas City, Kansas have become eligible 
for a new privately funded scholarship program to provide low-income 
children the choice of private, parochial or public school.
  Last October, Ted Forstmann and John Walton each contributed $3 
million to create a fund for scholarships in Washington, D.C. Their 
programs were in such high demand--50,000 applications for 3,000 
scholarships--that the two businessmen have decided to greatly expand 
the scope of their scholarship programs.
  Yesterday, Mr. Forstmann and Mr. Walton joined together to announce 
the Children's Scholarship Fund, a foundation to award $200 million in 
scholarships to low-income children around the country, including 
Kansas. The Children's Scholarship Fund will partner with local 
entities in an effort to provide children the choice of private, 
parochial or public education.
  I applaud the generosity of these two entrepreneurs, as well as urge 
corporate America to follow their lead and aid this effort in their own 
cities. I also hope that the eligible cities will do all they can to 
work with the Children's Scholarship Fund, which next year will send at 
least 50,000 low-income children to the schools of their 
choice.

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