During a House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) claimed President Trump "has a problem" with Washington D.C. because the city is "black and brown."
00:04I support this common sense amendment by Congressman Frost, and I thank him for offering it.
00:10Students in the D.C. voucher program should be protected from unaccredited schools.
00:16We have seen three consistent things about the voucher program since Republicans created it 20 years ago.
00:22The program has failed to improve academic achievement as measured by reading and math scores.
00:27Republicans continue to weaken the evaluation requirements for the program, and Republicans continue to allow unaccredited schools to participate in the program.
00:38The bill would allow schools first participating in the program after enactment of the bill five years, let me repeat that, five years to become accredited.
00:48That is ridiculously weak when it comes to standards.
00:52Accreditation helps ensure that schools provide a high-quality education.
00:56The federal government requires colleges and universities to be accredited to receive federal funds.
01:03It is even more important that schools participating in federally funded D.C. voucher programs, which educate students during key developmental years, also be accredited.
01:16I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record of Washington Post's investigation of the program titled,
01:21Quality Controls Lacking for D.C. Schools Accepting Federal Vouchers.
01:26Without objection to order.
01:27Now, let me go on and deal with this, because y'all want to talk about my education, because MAGA loves to talk about my education.
01:32Let me tell you something.
01:32I got it.
01:33I got degrees, okay?
01:34I can count them off for you if you want me to, and I am proud of that, but let me tell you, it was no thanks to any Republicans that I got my education.
01:43My mom, regardless of what tropes y'all might like to put out there about black folk or government workers, let me be clear.
01:51My mom has been a federal government worker my entire life.
01:53She has worked hard for this federal government, regardless of all the nonsense and the terrible things you say about federal government employees, and somehow she managed to raise me.
02:03But she still wasn't getting paid her due like most of us that work for the federal government.
02:07So what did my mom do?
02:08My mom worked multiple jobs.
02:10I know that there are tropes out there that act like black folk are the ones that are always looking out for a handout.
02:15But my mom worked multiple jobs to make sure that she could pay to send me to private school.
02:21So, yes, I went to private school.
02:23I went to private school from seventh grade all the way through high school, and then I earned a scholarship to attend college at a private school, the same one that Amy Coney Barrett attended.
02:34Yes, we both attended Rhodes College.
02:36And then I earned another scholarship so that I could go to law school.
02:40Let me tell you something.
02:41My academic success, it started in public school.
02:45Public school was my foundation.
02:47So pre-K through six, yes, I believe in pre-K, I was in public school.
02:53Unfortunately, it was too dangerous for me to go and matriculate through the junior high as well as the high school, in addition to the fact that when it came to the standardized tests, I typically was at the top of the standardized tests in the state.
03:09And so my mom wanted to challenge me to the best of her ability.
03:13So that is what she did.
03:14She did not look to the federal government and say, I've decided I want to send my child to a private school.
03:20So therefore, the federal government needs to give me this money instead of making it an inequitable situation for other students that are literally not in the same situation.
03:33Yes, I got accepted to private school because my parents worked with me even when I got out of public school because they had that luxury of being able to do that.
03:42And because both of my parents happened to be college educated and they could help me to do my work.
03:48But nevertheless, regardless of my education, because I've done both, I can actually be an advocate and I understand the difference.
03:57And I do believe in the importance of having a sound public education.
04:04And maybe my mom would not have had to work so many jobs if there had not been people siphoning money out of our public schools to the extent that she felt like they were not going to be able to challenge me, her gifted child, as I was continuing to grow.
04:22So all we're saying is if you're going to give out 20 something thousand, $21,000 as relates to these 1,400 students per child, then give out the same $21,000 for the students that are in public school.
04:36That's it. We're looking for equity, something that y'all don't like.
04:40I know it's a bad word, but we're looking for equity.
04:42And I know that the gentle lady from North Carolina wants to brag about how many black and brown children.
04:47I will remind her one of the reasons the president has a problem with the city of D.C. right now is because it's black and brown.
04:53That's what it is. I mean, it would be odd if, like, the vast majority of the people that are taking advantage are not black and brown.
05:00That's the city. Okay, I yield.
05:05All right. Any other members seek recognition?
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