[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 5, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OPPORTUNITY AND RESULTS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 30, 2011

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 471, 
the private school voucher program for the District of Columbia.
  This bill would revive the ineffective and inefficient D.C. voucher 
program. The bill authorizes $100 million over the next five years for 
only 1.3 percent of students to receive vouchers in D.C.--with no 
offset for the funding.
  I do not support any attempt to resume funding the D.C. voucher 
system using taxpayer dollars intended for public schools. We should be 
investing public dollars in public schools, not diverting critically 
needed resources to private institutions. Private schools are not held 
to the same standards as our public schools--including civil rights 
laws and accountability measures--and are not required to provide the 
same services, such as educating individuals with disabilities.
  Vouchers take scarce resources away from our children and provide no 
accountability for our tax dollars. While the D.C. voucher program was 
in effect, multiple studies found that the students in the program were 
not performing better academically compared to other students in the 
District. In fact, the program was so poorly run that some students 
were allowed to use vouchers to attend unaccredited schools.
  The Republican House majority made the largest cut to education in 
our history in their continuing resolution for Fiscal Year 2011 (H.R. 
1) that passed the House. In the same bill, they proposed to fund the 
D.C. voucher system at $15.5 million. Again, my Republican colleagues 
cut public education in all 50 states while reviving millions of 
dollars for vouchers for one percent of students in the District of 
Columbia.
  For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 471 and any 
funding efforts for this failed program.

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