Oppose H.R. 817 – Protect Public Education

I am writing to express my strong opposition to H.R. 817, the Educational Choice for Children Act. This bill, under the guise of promoting “school choice,” effectively diverts public resources and incentives away from our already underfunded public schools. Creating a federal tax credit for contributions to private scholarship funds is a thinly veiled voucher scheme that subsidizes private and religious education at taxpayers’ expense. I believe every child deserves a strong, well-supported public education system, not policies that further erode public school funding and deepen inequity. H.R. 817 will disproportionately benefit wealthier donors and families while leaving public schools to shoulder the challenges with fewer resources. Our focus should be on strengthening and investing in public education—not undermining it through backdoor programs that prioritize private interests over the common good. I urge you to stand firmly against this legislation and any similar efforts to weaken our public schools. Please advocate for policies that invest in public education for all children across the country.