This week, Republican lawmakers are attempting to pass a budget reconciliation bill that pays for unprecedented handouts to the wealthiest Americans on the backs of cuts to programs that benefit most people. Hidden in this budget package before the House is a national private school voucher program funded through tax breaks for the wealthy that threatens to dismantle our system of public schools.

According to Senator Ted Cruz, school vouchers are "the Civil Rights Issue of the 21st century.” The Texas Republican argues that vouchers are key to providing educational opportunities for young people. On the contrary, expanding vouchers and eliminating public education will actively harm young people—especially Black, Latino, and Indigenous students.

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President Donald Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” currently includes a provision hidden in the tax code that offers an unprecedented 100% tax deduction for donations to third party organizations that hand out private school vouchers. The push to create a national private school voucher program is part of a long legacy of efforts to return to the separate and unequal educational landscape of the pre-civil rights........

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