House sends first voucher bill to president; veto expected

WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. House of Representatives approved school vouchers for children from the District of Columbia April 30, marking the first time Congress has sent voucher legislation to the White House.

The bill, approved nearly along party lines in a 214-206 vote, would permit 2,000 students from low-income families to receive vouchers of as much as $3,200 to pay for tuition at area private schools, including religious ones. All but 13 Republicans voted for the bill. Only six Democrats supported it.

The legislation, which was approved by voice vote in the Senate last year, faces what appears to be a certain veto by President Clinton.

After the vote, the president's education secretary, Richard Riley, criticized the bill in a written statement, calling it "divisive, unnecessary and a nonsolution."

"This bill is a politically expedient, substantively irrelevant effort which will do nothing to improve education for public school students" in D.C., Riley said.

Clint Bolick of the Institute for Justice said the president's decision on the bill "will demonstrate whether he is committed to educational opportunity or captured by special interest groups."

Among the vocal opponents of vouchers are the National Education Association, the country's largest teachers organization, and the National School Boards Association.

In a written statement, Bolick called on Clinton "not to block the schoolhouse doors. These children desperately need educational opportunities." The Institute for Justice is defending in the courts school-choice programs in six states.

The D.C. schools are considered among the worst in the country.

Debate on the House floor was fervent at times.

"If we begin public vouchers, we might just as well abandon public schools," said Rep. Diana DeGette, D.-Colo., according to The Washington Times.

Rep. Frank Wolf, R.-Va., said, "None of you would allow your children to go to the District of Columbia schools. And you want to deny the opportunity for other kids to get into schools," The Times reported.

A day before the House vote, 1,002 low-income students were awarded scholarship grants from a private fund. More than 7,000 families applied for the scholarships.