WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans in the House of Representatives want to spend up to $5 billion every year on scholarships. These scholarships would help families pay for their children to go to private and religious schools. This is a big new plan to use government money for private education.

The plan, which is part of a budget bill from Monday, would help President Donald Trump reach his aim of "universal school choice." It would let families everywhere choose a different education for their children than the one at their local public school. Almost all families could get this, except those who make more than three times the average income in their area.

People who support giving money for private schools say they want to offer more options to families whose children go to schools that aren't doing well.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana said that letting parents choose the best school for their child helps make the American Dream possible.

If people give money or stock to the program, they will get all of their donation back as a tax discount. This helps stock owners avoid paying taxes they would normally pay when they give or transfer their stock.

Critics strongly disliked the plan. They said it would help rich people and hurt public schools, which teach most students. They also said it would create a way for smart investors to make money while pretending to give a donation.

This is happening as the Trump government makes the Education Department smaller and gives less money to public schools. For example, they are stopping one billion dollars for mental health programs and teacher education.

"This is a serious danger," said Sasha Pudelski. She added that states with voucher programs often help families who were already sending their children to private school. "This makes a problem worse that already exists in voucher programs across the country: a lot of wasted money, cheating, and misuse."

Programs that use tax money to help students go to private schools have become very common in conservative states like Texas, which just started a $1 billion program. People who support public schools are afraid these programs will cause fewer students to attend public schools and reduce the money available for each student. This means less money for families who choose public schools.