Foes Halt Vote on School Vouchers, Democrats Reject Senate's D.C. Bill

[Judi Lynn]

Foes Halt Vote on School Vouchers
Democrats Reject Senate's D.C. Bill


By Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 18, 2003; Page A01


Senate Democrats blocked a school voucher plan for the District yesterday, posing the first serious test in Congress to President Bush's national education initiative and leaving its future in doubt.

The chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee postponed for at least a week the vote on the city's $5.6 billion budget after Democrats, bolstered by the defection of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), threatened to strip a school choice program from the bill. The program would divide $40 million among D.C. public schools, public charter schools and a new private school tuition voucher program offering up to $7,500 per student for about 2,000 children.

Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), who endorsed a voucher plan on condition that it include money for public schools and charter schools, was traveling yesterday. His chief of staff, Kelvin J. Robinson, said he expected the measure to pass. "We believe there are some Democrats for whom this is not a partisan issue but rather it's a parental choice issue," Robinson said.

Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.), ranking minority member on the Appropriations subcommittee on the District, said Democrats are prepared to hold the full city budget on the Senate floor until the voucher provision is revoked.

"If this issue gets to the floor, the D.C. bill will probably be held up by any number of senators," said Landrieu, whose strong opposition to diverting federal funds to private schools surprised Republicans and voucher supporters, who had been negotiating with her for weeks. (snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8550-2003Jul17.html?nav=hptop_tb&nav=hptop_tb

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1. OMG! the headline should

read Democratic Senators Discover Spine! This is what 'opposition party' means.