House Leader Cantor Champions School Choice

He also criticized New York Mayor Bill de Blasio in a Brookings Institute speech

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Susan Walsh / AP

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Va. speaks about The Value of School Choice

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor continued his crusade for school choice Wednesday, marketing the programs as the key to breaking the cycle of poverty in America. “This is how we’ll begin to close the opportunity gap and produce real results for American students,” Cantor said at the event, which was held at the non-profit Brookings Institute. “Especially those who need it the most.”

The Congressman also pledged to push back against those who threaten the education reform programs he champions. “Our committees in the House will remain vigilant in their efforts to ensure no one from the government stands in the schoolhouse door between any child and a good education,” Cantor said.

He targeted some of his ire toward the proposed efforts of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who pushed for significant changes to the city’s charter school program while campaigning. Charter schools are often seen as best alternatives to public schools in low-income areas where vouchers are often shopped. New York is home to the nation’s largest school system: about 5% of the city’s students attend charter schools, according to Education Week.

“Just think of how many families will have their choices taken away if Mayor de Blasio pursues these policies,” Cantor said. “Mayor de Blasio should abandon this plan and allow New York’s charter schools to flourish.”