Ensign Agrees With Education Secretary

Senator John Ensign, Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, today (March 4, 2009) made the following statement in response to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s comment that it is a mistake to take kids out of schools where they are happy, safe and satisfied when asked about the District’s voucher program:

“I’m very pleased to see that the Obama Administration believes it is a mistake for Democrats to end the federal voucher program in the District of Columbia.  I have fought hard for low-income children to have a better education and to allow their parents the choice of where to educate their children. I hope Senate and House Democrats are listening.”

Background information on the Secretary’s comments: School chief: DC kids should keep school vouchers (Associated Press)

Senator Ensign’s amendment would provide a lifeline to this program and keep students in the schools they prefer.  It strikes the language in the Democrats’ omnibus spending bill that prohibits funding after the 2009-10 school year, a move to kill the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. Ensign’s amendment ensures that low- income families in D.C. are provided with the opportunity to send their children to a private school, just like President Obama has selected for his children.

Ensign, Demint Urge Obama To Support Low-Income Students 

Senators John Ensign and Jim DeMint today (March 5, 2009) urged President Barack Obama to oppose efforts by Democrats in Congress to send low-income students back to poorly performing schools because of political priorities.  If the omnibus spending bill passes, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship will not receive funding after the 2009 – 2010 school year.  This measure is designed to kill the program, but Ensign will be putting forward an amendment to preserve it.

 “Children should not be limited on the education they receive simply because their parents do not have the financial means necessary to pay for an elite private school,” said Ensign, Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.  “In drafting the omnibus spending bill, Democrats put their political agenda ahead of educating our children.  Today I hope we have a vote to keep low-income children in the schools they want to attend.”

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program allows low-income parents to receive a voucher for their children to attend a better performing private school.   At a Capitol Hill press conference today, Senators Ensign and DeMint, along with Senators Jon Kyl and Lamar Alexander, spoke out in support of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

"Parental choice over where children attend school should not be limited to a privileged few," said Senator DeMint. "This program has given poor and helpless children hope, but Democrats are willing to sacrifice those hopes – and those children – to their rigid ideology. Democrats want to lock poor students in the steerage of a sinking ship. Killing D.C. School Choice will strangle opportunity in its crib.”

Ensign’s amendment ensures that low-income families in D.C. are provided with the opportunity to send their children to a private school, just like President Obama has selected for his children.