WASHINGTON, D.C. — Education and Workforce Committee Vice Chair Burgess Owens (R-UT) published a new op-ed in Deseret News making the case for the One Big Beautiful Bill’s school choice provisions. In the piece, Rep. Owens outlines how the bill will build on Utah’s proven education freedom model and finally deliver school choice to every student in every zip code, no matter their race, income, or background.
The full op-ed is available here and below.
Pass the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ and deliver school choice to every child in every zip code
Deseret News
Congressman Burgess Owens
You’ve heard about President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, the most transformational legislation in a generation. From delivering tax-free MAGA Accounts for newborns and cutting taxes for hard-working families to raising the child tax credit and ending taxes on tips and overtime, the One Big Beautiful Bill is full of wins for families in Utah and across America.
But what you might not have heard is this: the One Big Beautiful Bill delivers nationwide school choice. It strengthens states like Utah that already lead the way, and brings real education freedom to states that have denied it for far too long. That might be the most important win of all.
Every child deserves a chance, and every parent deserves a choice, no matter their race, zip code or income. That’s personal to me. Growing up in the segregated South, my parents, both educators, gave me and my siblings every ounce of opportunity they could. They believed their children were their legacy, and it was their dream for us to run circles around them. I want that for my six kids and 17 grandkids. Millions of Americans want that for their children.
A new national poll confirms what many of us in Utah already know: school choice isn’t just smart policy, it’s overwhelmingly popular. Over 80% of Americans, including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and K–12 parents, support school choice and the tax credits that make it possible.
The One Big Beautiful Bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make American education the best in the world for every child in every zip code. States like Utah have proved that education freedom works, and this legislation builds on that foundation. We value freedom, empower parents and put students first, all while consistently outperforming national benchmarks.
Now imagine that success multiplied across all 50 states. The One Big Beautiful Bill does exactly that.
This bill ends the zip-code lottery. It empowers parents to direct their child’s education using funds administered through scholarship-granting organizations and made possible through charitable donations from individuals. These organizations then award scholarships to students, prioritizing those from low-income families, for educational uses including private tuition, tutoring, special needs services, learning materials and more. These aren’t one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington; this is a success model led by parents, not bureaucrats. And it’s how we ensure every child gets a real shot at the American Dream.
But as always, the critics are lining up with fear tactics and falsehoods. School choice funds students, not systems, and when parents have the power, all schools improve, because competition and innovation drive excellence and high standards. School choice is a lifeline for low-income and minority students who have been denied options for decades.
Families, not federal bureaucrats, should decide how and where their kids learn. That’s why there will be no meddling from the Department of Education. Scholarship-granting organizations will serve as the vehicles, and parents will be in the driver’s seat.
Utah has proven that when we empower parents and embrace flexibility, our children thrive. It’s time for the rest of the country to catch up.
President Trump promised to make America’s education system the best in the world. The One Big Beautiful Bill keeps that promise. It rewrites the rules of who gets access to opportunity and replaces red tape with freedom.
We are not here to tinker around the edges of education for marginal gains. We are here to transform and innovate, to pass on to the next generation not just a better economy, but a better education system rooted in freedom, choice, excellence and hope.
Let’s pass the One Big Beautiful Bill, put parents back in charge, and finally deliver school choice to every student in every zip code.
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