A federal school voucher program has long eluded conservatives, even as advocates for school choice have scored victories in more than a dozen red states over the past two years.
Now, a sweeping proposal by House Republicans to allocate $5 billion a year to provide a tax break for families who choose to send their children to private and religious schools has been incorporated into the GOP-led budget reconciliation measure.
The proposal is “the most consequential educational [measure] in our lifetime,’’ said Rep. Burgess Owens, a Utah Republican who has long championed school choice efforts.