Contact: Michael Steel, Kevin Smith, Steve Forde, 202-225-4000; all with John Boehner's Office

WASHINGTON, Mar. 10 /Standard Newswire/ -- House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today praised President Obama for challenging the education establishment with his proposal to encourage states to adopt teacher performance pay initiatives, but said the President must prove his commitment to education reform by vetoing the $410 billion omnibus spending bill that includes language to gut a Washington, DC school choice program.  Boehner issued the following statement:

"I commend the President for taking on the education establishment with his teacher performance pay proposal, but if he is truly serious about education reform, he must also veto the omnibus spending bill and its provisions to terminate the Washington, DC school choice program.  While I look forward to seeing the details and implementation of his proposal, I agree with the President that states should have the option of using federal education money to establish initiatives that reward teachers on the basis of their success in the classroom, not just their seniority.  Likewise, parents -- regardless of income -- deserve to have a choice regarding where to send their children to school.  And for the last six years, thousands of low-income parents in our nation's capital have had that option, thanks to an innovative and successful school choice program for Washington, DC students.

"Unfortunately, at the behest of the education establishment, Democratic leaders in Congress have included language in the $410 billion omnibus that would effectively kill the DC school choice program.  This is wrong, and the President should show his commitment to education reform for all students by rejecting this attempt to strip Washington parents of the right to choose their children's schools.  Republicans stand ready to work with the President to uphold his veto."