FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 13, 2002
CONTACT: LINDA MACIAS/PAUL TODD (202) 225-6161

Democrats Put End to Republican Private School Voucher Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Joe Baca (D-Rialto) joined his Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives yesterday in pressuring House Republicans to pull a bill that would essentially provide vouchers for private school education. The bill would have cost public education $1.7 billion each of the three years it would have been in effect, coming to a final cut of $4.9 billion from public education.

"Once again the Republicans seem to think that the American people won't recognize an assault on public education when they see one," Baca said. "I'm glad the Republicans pulled their flawed bill before it could do any damage to public education in our country."

The Republican bill would have extended the above the line deduction for higher education up to $3,000 per year to cover elementary and secondary education expenses, but only for couples making less than $40,000 per year or individuals making less than $20,000 per year. Very few families would benefit from the program because the income limits are so low. Those families that fall under them have very little tax liability anyway, and the $3,000 is a deduction from adjusted gross income, not a refund.

"This bill attempts to hide a voucher spending program in a tax cut bill, but does nothing to solve - instead makes worse - the problems facing our nation's public schools," Baca said.

House Democrats offered a bipartisan substitute education proposal that would provide $25 million in interest free bonds for public school modernization. With the money that the Republican bill would spend on vouchers, 4,900 public schools could be modernized, 1.3 million children could have after school care, and 1.5 students could receive quality bilingual education.

"Our public education system needs dollars, not delusions," Baca said. "We need to modernize our public schools, not subsidize private schools."

"We need more classrooms, smaller class sizes, and more equipment and supplies in every classroom, in every public school in America. The sooner the Republican leadership gets off their education voucher kick, the sooner they can begin helping us solve the real problems facing the education of our young people in this country."

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