Stop D.C. Vouchers
Press release urging action against Senate approval of voucher plan
September 8, 2003

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
September 8, 2003 
Contact: Melody Webb
202-276-9253

Stop D.C. Vouchers Urges Action on Vouchers' Fast Track in Congress

Washington, D.C. - The full U.S. Senate moves closer to considering voucher legislation after a Senate committee passed a $13 million voucher plan for D.C. last week, with the help of Senator Diane Feinstein (D- Ca.), who reversed a 30 year record against vouchers in supporting the proposal. The U.S. House, after a preliminary and narrow vote to pass the voucher bill for D.C., will likely consider final legislation this week on their $10 million version of the voucher measure. The plan is authored by Representative Thomas Davis III (R- Va). Today, Melody Webb, Stop D.C. Vouchers Director, DCPS parent and attorney released the following statement regarding the fast track movement of D.C. voucher legislation in Congress:

"The situation is dire. We must act now! We must tell our friends to act. A message that we must give Congress is that no matter what, D.C. residents and public school supporters will fight this, and explore all options to thwart this abomination of unconstitutional proportions. Unlike anywhere else in the country, D.C. residents lack political power to prevent congressional control over its local education programs. Congress this year voted against vouchers for its own districts under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, but would institute them in D.C.. Senator Feinstein vowed not to support vouchers for California, but does for D.C.. 

As in the commuter tax case brought by D.C. residents and city officials, in which I am one of the plaintiffs, we D.C. residents are victims of unequal protection. The argument in that case, as in this, is that we have no representation in the same legislature that now ignores our will and seeks to intermeddle in our local policymaking. Here Congress would impose a voucher white elephant on our education system. Should Congress pass this voucher plan into law, Congress will deny D.C.'s children what other children across the country have - the right for their parents to direct what happens in their education system. As a parent in the D.C. public schools system, I say on behalf of our parents, we won't stand for it; if Congress ignores our will and passes this law, it could signal the need to join this with the nonresident income tax case by taking this issue to the courts for real justice."