On Wednesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Education and the American Family held a hearing, Choice, and Literacy: Empowering Families for Better Educational Results. In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chair Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) promoted the recently passed private school voucher provision in H.R. 1 and pointed to school choice as a solution to failing schools. He also highlighted the science of reading as a solution to poor National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores. Ranking Member Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-DE) countered private school choice, calling for greater innovation in public schools as the solution. Underscoring exclusionary admission policies in private schools based on disability, religion, gender identity, and more, she called school choice “the school’s choice.” Anne Wicks, George W. Bush Institute, underscored the imperative of implementing the science of reading, asserting that rigorous research, high-quality teacher preparation, and professional development for educators already in the field are foundational to effective implementation. Tyler Barnett, CEO of New Schools for Alabama, and Ginny Gentles, Director of Education Freedom and Parental Rights, Defense of Freedom Institute, highlighted the value of school choice, respectively. Richard Barrera, Board Vice President, San Diego Unified School District, highlighted ways that his district has positively impacted academic achievement and called for greater investments in public education. During a question-and-answer session, Republicans uplifted witnesses’ positions on the science of reading and school choice. Democrats focused largely on special education, calling for the full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and criticizing private school vouchers because of the lack of federal oversight and implementation of federal civil rights laws. Full Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) used his time to discuss how to improve screening and education for people with dyslexia.