[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 46 (Thursday, March 15, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S1742]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               TAX REFORM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on one final matter, few subjects are 
closer to the heart of parents than their children's education. That is 
why Republicans made sure the historic tax reform we passed last year 
included a provision, championed by Senator Cruz and others, that will 
help parents choose an education for their children that makes sense 
for their family.
  A recent article in the Courier-Journal in Louisville, KY, shared the 
story of one family whose second grade son had struggled with an 
undiagnosed learning disability. He had trouble keeping up with his 
public school class. So like many parents facing similar challenges, 
his family decided to send him to a private school with smaller classes 
and more individual attention, but that was a tough financial decision. 
Even though both parents worked, affording tuition was a struggle.
  Families like this are why Republican tax reform gave parents more 
flexibility in paying educational expenses. The law builds the 
foundation for important expansions of the tax-advantaged college 
savings accounts known as 529 plans. As a result of tax reform, we are 
empowering families to use these tax-exempt accounts not only for 
college expenses but also for tuition at private and religious schools, 
K-12.
  The philosophy here is simple: More choice is better than less. That 
really is the moral of the story on tax reform--getting government out 
of the way, letting families keep more of their own income, and 
empowering Americans to make the economic choices that make sense for 
them.
  Parents know best what works for their children. So if we can get 
government out of the way so the IRS takes less from families and 
parents, and parents get more control over their kids' education, we 
ought to do it.
  The young man from Louisville is in the fifth grade now. His new 
private school was able to properly diagnose and approach his dyslexia. 
He is thriving. Now, thanks to tax reform, school choice will soon 
become more affordable for families like his.
  Historically, helping families save for schooling costs has been a 
bipartisan priority. In 1996, I worked with Senator Bob Graham and 
other friends across the aisle to create section 529 in the first 
place. Five years later, I sponsored legislation to let families tap 
into 529 plans tax-free. It ended up in the 2001 tax cuts--again, a 
bipartisan affair, but this time was different.
  No Democrats in the House or the Senate--not a single one--voted for 
this historic tax reform law. They tried to block this law to help 
families across America afford schooling of their choice. This time, 
Republicans had to do it all by themselves. Fortunately, we got it done 
for American families.

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