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The Administration strongly opposes S. 1502 because it would appropriate
Federal taxpayer funds to pay for private school vouchers. If this bill
were presented to the President, the President's senior advisers would
recommend that the bill be vetoed.
S. 1502 would create a program of Federally funded vouchers that would
divert critical resources that should be devoted to our public education
priorities to private schools, with little or no public accountability for
how funds are used. Moreover, the bill is apparently designed to ensure
that receipt of these vouchers, unlike other Federal funds, would not
require schools to comply with Federal civil rights laws that protect
students from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin,
sex, or disability.
Instead of investing additional resources in public schools, vouchers would
allow a few selected students to attend private schools, and would draw
attention away from the hard work of reforming public schools that serve
the overwhelming majority of D.C. students. Efforts should focus on
approaches that will improve education for all children. The D.C. public
school system has intensified such efforts with its Improved Student
Achievement Initiative.
Under S. 1502, Federal taxpayers would be asked to provide up to $3,200 to
each student with a voucher, nearly eight times the amount the Federal
Government now makes available for public school children throughout the
Nation. Establishing a private school voucher system in the Nation's
Capital would set a dangerous precedent for using Federal taxpayer funds
for schools that are not accountable to the public. This would be an
extremely costly venture that could be a first step toward a nationalized
voucher program at public expense. Choice among private schools should be
paid for with private funds, with public funds used to provide choice among
public schools.
Pay-As-You-Go Scoring
S. 1502 would increase direct spending; therefore it is subject to the
pay-as-you-go requirement of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA)
of 1990. The bill does not contain provisions to offset the increased
direct spending. If the bill were enacted, it could contribute to a
sequester of mandatory programs.
OMB's preliminary scoring estimate is that this bill would increase direct
spending by a total of $7 million in FYs 1998 and 1999. Final scoring of
this legislation may deviate from this estimate. If S. 1502 were enacted,
final OMB scoring estimates would be published within seven working days of
enactment, as required by OBRA. The cumulative effects of all enacted
legislation on direct spending and receipts will be reported to Congress at
the end of the Congressional session, as required by OBRA.
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