Rep. Burlison Opens Hearing on School Choice Expansion

WASHINGTON-Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) delivered opening remarks at today's hearing on "Opening Doors to Opportunity: The Promise of Expanded School Choice and Alternatives to Four-Year College Degrees." In his opening remarks, Subcommittee Chairman Burlison noted the decline in American education prior to the expansion of school choice programs and the failure of post-secondary education institutions to prepare college graduates for meeting the needs of the U.S. economy. Subcommittee Chairman Burlison also highlighted the benefits of school choice programs on academic success and how school choice provided through the One Big Beautiful Bill saves American taxpayers money.

WATCH: Rep. Burlison's Opening Remarks

Below are Subcommittee Chairman Burlison's prepared remarks:

Plato once said, "The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life."

That is a truth that echoes across the millennia for men and women today: education is the foundation of a flourishing society and individual. And yet, in America today, our educational foundation has seen cracks and has been crumbling for years.

That jeopardizes American prosperity.

For 25 years, reading and math proficiency have flatlined. Our children are not flourishing-they are falling behind.

Meanwhile, the bureaucratic behemoth of traditional K-12 education has only grown larger, measuring its success less by learning outcomes and overall flourishment and more by one narrow metric: college admissions.

For many decades, college has been thought of as the key to success in America-college degrees guaranteed high paying, comfortable jobs.

But the promise of college as a guaranteed path to prosperity is now waning. Half of the undergraduate class of 2023 now works in jobs that don't even require a degree.

Entry-level white-collar positions are disappearing as our economy changes and the use of artificial intelligence rises. The U.S. faces an unprecedented surplus of college graduates-many buried in debt for decades, many holding degrees of little value in the marketplace.

At the same time, our economy is starved for what higher education refuses to supply: manufacturing technicians, skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen, engineers, and workers who can build and maintain the backbone of America.

It's time we reevaluate our education system.

Fortunately, President Trump and Congressional Republicans have made considerable efforts to challenge the traditional model.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law earlier this year incentivizes the funding of scholarships and offers an opportunity for parents to send their children to the best schools.

School choice is not a theory. It is freedom. It is competition. It is accountability. It is vital to the economic future of our country. It should be as American as apple pie and baseball.

And alternative choices are not just needed at the K-12 level. They are also needed at the post-secondary level.

Recent reporting from the Department of Labor highlights that, in the trades, the average salary after completion of an apprenticeship is $11,000 more than that of recent college graduates.

Careers in the trades, as we will hear from our witnesses today, are vital, offer high paying jobs, and provide ample opportunities across our nation.

Education and training programs are vital to prepare young people to take advantage of these opportunities. They pass on critical learning that upholds and strengthens businesses and local economies.

America needs more post-secondary educational alternatives to prepare young people for these rewarding careers-alternatives that offer clear-cut and viable opportunities compared to underperforming 4-year college programs.

America's youth and families deserve-and America's economy demands-educational and career training choices that better fit students', families' and communities' needs.

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