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CV NEWS FEED // President Donald Trump praised a school choice initiative in Texas and warned the Texas House that he will “be watching them closely.”
In a social media post Saturday, Trump congratulated Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Brandon Creighton, both Republicans, for their work in passing the school choice bill in the Texas Senate last week.
“The Texas House must now pass School Choice to deliver a gigantic Victory for Texas students and parents,” Trump wrote.
“I will be watching them closely,” he warned. “We need School Choice passed in every State!”
Trump previously pledged his full support for any legislative efforts to achieve school choice.
He announced in an executive order: “It is the policy of my Administration to support parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children.”
If approved by the House, Senate Bill 2 would designate $1 billion for 100,000 savings accounts, allowing students to cover private school expenses. Homeschooling families would also be eligible for funding.
The bill has been received well, bolstered by the support of the superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Dallas and CatholicVote’s official endorsement of the proposal in January.
The Texas Senate passed other school choice measures five times in 2023, but each bill faced strong opposition in the Texas House from Republicans who feared that the initiative would divert money from public schools in their districts.
The House has not assigned any committees or considered legislation yet.
Patrick said in a statement last week, “This is the sixth time the Texas Senate has passed school choice, with every previous bill dying in the Texas House.”
“The Senate will pass school choice over and over again until the House passes this bill,” he added. “The days of limiting millions of Texas students to a one-size-fits-all approach are over.”
