News Release

Senate Vote for Vouchers Short-Sighted, Disappointing

Below is a statement from National Education Association (NEA) President Reg Weaver on today’s voice vote in the U.S. Senate in favor of Senator Michael Enzi’s (R-WY) amendment to create the first-ever national voucher program:

WASHINGTON—“Today’s vote in the Senate for a national voucher program is a calculated attempt to advance a national voucher system as part of a larger political agenda.  Worse yet, this political maneuvering was done under the guise of trying to provide assistance to the schools and students affected by Hurricane Katrina—our lawmakers should be ashamed. And they are—which is why they acted out this outrage in a voice vote so that there wouldn’t be an official record that could be reported out to their respective constituencies. 

“This political jockeying comes right on the heels of the Senate’s vote to provide miniscule increases in Title I and IDEA funding.  With this vote, the U.S. Senate has signaled that it is ready to give billions to private schools while leaving the needs of millions of children woefully under funded.

“It’s a textbook example of how political posturing has become more important than doing the right thing in the halls of Congress.  NEA had urged the Senate to support an already existing option that would help all students by providing goods and services to public and private school students.  The mechanism NEA supports, equitable participation, is the best and most efficient way to speed relief to schools and children in need. 

“Instead, the Senate has decided to create an entirely new bureaucracy that is riddled with a host of potential problems.  I am deeply disappointed in this short-sighted, self-serving decision because vouchers don’t rebuild schools and won’t do anything to address the issues these children and schools are confronting or will face next school year.  This action is a precursor to an extended national voucher system.

“The American public doesn’t support vouchers—that is why the supporters of this bill exploited this crisis because they knew doing so would be their best chance to get a national voucher program.  When the Senate voted in favor of Senator Enzi’s amendment, they did it via a voice vote.  My question is this:  If the supporters of this amendment believe this is the right thing to do for our children, why didn’t they want their votes on record?”

Nov. 3, 2005

For More Information Contact:

Denise Cardinal, NEA Public Relations, (202) 822-7239
Staci Maiers, NEA Public Relations, (202) 822-7150

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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, college faculty, school administrators, education support professionals, retired educator and students preparing to become teaches.