[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 56 (Thursday, April 22, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E752]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES E. ROGAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 1999

  Mr. ROGAN. Mr. Speaker, it is for our impoverished urban communities 
that I am introducing the Educational Opportunities Act of 1999. This 
bill will empower low-income parents living in poverty-stricken areas 
to provide the best education possible for their children.
  I am honored to introduce this education plan for our urban 
communities, which is embraced and co-authored by the Congressional 
Renewal Alliance. The Renewal Alliance is a coalition of 
representatives and senators committed to working with community 
leaders to find legislative proposals which facilitate local solutions 
in impoverished regions. This will lead to individual empowerment.
  I have worked closely with my colleagues in the Renewal Alliance to 
craft a bill that provides educational alternatives in our inner 
cities, and provides relief for those parents who invest in their 
children.
  The Educational Opportunities Act of 1999 adopts the principles of 
another bill I have introduced, H.R. 600, which provides up to a $1,000 
per-child tax credit for educational expenses. In the Educational 
Opportunities Act of 1999, this tax credit is extended to parents in 
Enterprise Zones and Enterprise Communities to cover the cost of 
textbooks, tuition, tutors, computer software, and other needs that 
will increase a child's learning opportunities. Thanks to the education 
tax credit included in this bill, low income parents will have far more 
resources to educate their children from kindergarten through high 
school.
  Another important component of this bill grants Opportunity 
Scholarships to children of the most needy parents. Under this 
Opportunity Scholarship Program, states and localities would be able to 
use existing federal funds to run a low-income public and private 
school choice program. Scholarships would be directed to students whose 
families are at or below 185 percent of the poverty rate. The 
scholarships would be used to cover the cost of tuition at any public 
or private school located in an Enterprise Zone or Enterprise 
Community. At least $310 million will be used for this scholarship 
program.
  It is time to give children in the poorest communities a meaningful 
chance to learn and excel. Bureaucrats in Washington cannot meet this 
need; those who make a real difference in the lives of these kids are 
parents and local community leaders. With the Educational Opportunities 
Act of 1999, we will provide poor parents the resources and choices to 
educate their children. Furthermore, we will liberate low-income 
communities to create schools where children have a true chance to 
learn and rise up from their challenges before them.
  I urge all Members who are interested in lifting children up from 
poverty to join me in supporting the Educational Opportunities Act of 
1999.

                          ____________________