House Passes "SOAR Act"

The U.S. House passed Speaker John Boehner's bill to restore and expand a D.C. school vouchers program geared for low-income students. Public schools in the District of Columbia continuously rank among the nation's worst ...

RE :”The U.S. House passed Speaker John Boehner’s bill to restore and expand a D.C. school vouchers program geared for low-income students. Public schools in the District of Columbia continuously rank among the nation's worst.
H.R. 471, Scholarships for Opportunity and Results, or SOAR Act, passed by a 30-vote margin with only one Democrat, Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski, voting for the legislation and nine Republicans voting against. The bill moves to the Democrat-controlled Senate where its fate is uncertain.
“Education reform starts with giving children in need a way out of our most underachieving public schools,” Boehner said today. “Of course, that doesn't mean that we abandon those schools. It means we take some of the pressure off of them while they work to turn themselves around.”
The bill appropriates $60 million per year for five years. Elementary school students can receive up to $8,000 per year while high school students may receive up to $12,000 to help finance tuition at a private school of their choice. One-third of the annual appropriation, $20 million, is intended for the voucher program while the additional two-thirds would be divided equally to assist D.C. public and charter schools. “

This would be great news if they cut the $300M from education spending to pay for it. But no we will be lucky to get $40-50B in cuts in the budget, and now we are in a third war.,

Want to get rid of the Department of Education completely?? Elect Michelle Bachmann as president with 75 or so Senate seats so they can lose a few RINO votes, similar in House. Good luck getting that. To be successful in such a big move takes political messaging groundwork to get swing voters/independents for it, which hasnt been done. Public school vouchers in NCLB 2004 would have laid the groundwork for dismantling public school monopoly.

RE :”Agreed, that’s the point ... this is where Boehner’s priorities lie, increasing spending in education when they should be dismantling agencies ... they haven’t cut jack since they regained power. This bill violates Article I., Sec. 8 btw ...”

Boehner was not going to eliminate the department of education. Boehner had no election mandate to do that and he (his party) only controls one house. If anything Newt had more of a mandate for that and he didn't come close. Yes, I was hoping that would happen in 1995 but...My god, Republicans got Bush in the WH, he rammed through Ted Kennedy's NCLB to get female voters for 2004 re-election. The Rush and Levin's were not calling him a RINO then. They were just happy he got re-elected.

To do something that difficult takes a broad political movement (lots of messaging and political ads and rallies) and right now the public sector unions are fighting Walker, Christie and others to keep their political power.

Remember, Bush sold us out on NCLB private school vouchers strengthening the public sector unions political power, all to buy a few 2004 re-election votes. You got to win a few long before you take on huge battles. Boehner is going to play it safe trying to pick up more seats next year 2012, will he do good with it in 2013? That is the million dollar question. But look at his past in 2007 and 2008, not pretty.

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