[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 145 (Friday, October 24, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2081-E2082]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS, MEDICAL LIABILITY REFORM, AND 
                      EDUCATION REFORM ACT OF 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. LOUIS STOKES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 9, 1997

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2607) making 
     appropriations for the government of the District of Columbia 
     and other activities chargeable in whole or in part against 
     the revenues of said District for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 1998, and for other purposes:

  Mr. STOKES. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Moran substitute 
to H.R. 2607, the Fiscal Year 1998 District of Columbia appropriations 
bill. Unamended, H.R. 2607 will provide $7 million for a school voucher 
program that will enable only 2,000 of the Districts 78,000 students to 
attend private schools or schools in the suburbs at the cost of $3,200 
each.
  Vouchers will drain critical financial resources from the D.C. public 
schools. These schools--as are many schools across the Nation--are 
already over burdened with financial problems. We need to do all that 
we can to strengthen the D.C. Public School System, not weaken it. Over 
5 years, the proposed voucher program will siphon $45 million away from 
D.C. public schools while helping only 3 percent of the school 
population.

[[Page E2082]]

  Mr. Chairman, supporters of school vouchers say that vouchers provide 
an opportunity to save 2,000 of the District's poor students. But, I 
ask, ``What will happen to the District's other 76,000 students?'' 
Supporters also believe that vouchers will be a shot in the arm for the 
D.C. Public School System, creating competition that will force them to 
improve the quality of education offered by the D.C. public schools. I 
do not believe that will be the case. The school voucher plan in this 
bill reaches a limited number of students seeking to opt out of the 
D.C. Public School System. In fact, it is not powerful enough to impact 
the school system in the way school voucher supporters would like to 
believe.
  Residents of the District of Columbia do not support school vouchers. 
In fact, 89 percent said so in a referendum on school vouchers. The 
parents in the District want to rebuild and reform their Public School 
System. We have no business imposing a voucher program on the District, 
against its will. Rather, we are morally obligated to ensure that all 
students in the District of Columbia--and across the Nation--have equal 
access to quality education. We must not abandon the D.C. public 
schools. Instead, we must strengthen our commitment to improving them.
  Mr. Chairman, I strongly support--and urge my colleagues to join me 
in supporting--the Moran substitute to H.R. 2607. This substitute is 
clean and replaces the House provisions with the Senate bill--as 
reported by the Appropriations Committee. This version has no veto 
threats and does not include any controversial riders or funding for 
school vouchers. It also has bipartisan support. I urge my colleagues 
to vote ``yes'' on the Moran substitute.

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