[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 140 (Friday, October 28, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2222-E2223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE SHOCK AND AWE OF REPUBLICAN SCHOOL VOUCHERS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MAJOR R. OWENS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 28, 2005

  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, disgracefully taking advantage of the misery 
of the evacuees of Katrina the Republicans have launched a backdoor, 
covert, but not so subtle effort to establish a federally funded school 
voucher program on a mass scale. The Republicans call this initiative 
by the code name Family Education Reimbursement Act (FERA). Under FERA 
parents would be given an account number that provides up to 6,700 
dollars per general education student and 8,200 dollars per special 
education student. At present Federal voucher intervention exists only 
in Washington DC for 1,700 students. FERA may expand this reach of 
vouchers to more than 200,000 students. Overwhelming Federal

[[Page E2223]]

power will impose a partisan Republican experiment that has already 
been rejected by local citizens across the nation. The Bush 
administration under the cover of disaster relief, will deliver a far-
reaching blow of mass destruction to public schooling in the Gulf Coast 
region. Needless to say this voucher beachhead will place all public 
schools in the nation at high risk. For the children of disaster area 
schools America can do better. Make school reconstruction a priority 
and speed the return of evacuated families home to their school 
districts. Providing adequate opportunity for all must be raised above 
the narrow partisan tricks of the Republican Party.

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