Obama Changes Position, Opposes D.C. School Vouchers
FREE Catholic Classes
Barack Obama said in February that he was open to voucher programs but just last week announced his intentions to squash the DC pilot program.
Highlights
WASHINGTON, DC (LifeSiteNews) - A landmark education program that provides opportunity to hundreds of families in the nation's capital to attend private schools is being opposed by Democrats in Congress.
Barack Obama told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in February that he was open to voucher programs, but just last week announced his intentions to squash the DC pilot program.
"Barack Obama prefers private education for his daughters but won't give DC parents the same opportunity," said Brian Burch, President of Fidelis, a Catholic-based political, legal, research and educational organization.
"Vouchers are Change," he continued. "Rather than subjecting kids to rotting schools, vouchers have brought change to hundreds of families, who opted for private or parochial schools. If Barack Obama had fought for this program, it would be saved. But he refuses to help these low-income families. By supporting the teachers union, he sadly has become the Status Quo Candidate on education."
Back in February, it looked like Barack Obama would be willing to back the teachers union and support the voucher program.
The Illinois Senator told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: "If there was any argument for vouchers, it was 'Alright, let's see if this experiment works,' and if it does, then whatever my preconceptions, my attitude is you do what works for the kids," the senator said.
"I will not allow my predispositions to stand in the way of making sure that our kids can learn. We're losing several generations of kids and something has to be done."
But by June, the teachers lobby convinced Obama to work against the program.
The senator told ABC News last week: "We don't have enough slots for every child to go into a parochial school or a private school. And what you would see is a huge drain of resources out of the public schools."
Fidelis also said Republicans in Congress, including long-time voucher supporter Sen. John McCain, deserve credit for placing parents and kids above the special interests of the teachers union.
At a 2007 presidential primary debate, McCain said: "Choice and competition is the key to success in education in America. That means charter schools, that means home schooling, it means vouchers, it means rewarding good teachers and finding bad teachers another line of work."
Burch concluded, saying, "Over the last eight years, we have seen some progress on education reform. John McCain has been a long-time advocate of education reform by providing alternatives to low-income families. Despite all the criticisms about Washington lobbyists and special interests, Barack Obama has sided with one of the most powerful special interest groups in Washington, this time at the expense of the educational future of thousands of children."
---
LifeSiteNews.com is a non-profit Internet service dedicated to issues of culture, life, and family. It was launched in September 1997. LifeSiteNews Daily News reports and information pages are used by numerous organizations and publications, educators, professionals and political, religious and life and family organization leaders and grassroots people across North America and internationally.
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Catholic Stand Against Physician-Assisted Suicide
-
The Church's Ongoing Effort to Address Abuse Allegations: A Comprehensive Look at CARA's Latest Survey
-
The Shifting Landscape of Cancer and Its Growing Impact on Women
-
Biden Declares ERA 'Law of the Land,' Raising Concerns Over Abortion and Religious Freedom
-
Pam Bondi Pledges to End DOJ Targeting of Catholics if Confirmed as Attorney General
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Saturday, January 18, 2025
- St. Volusian: Saint of the Day for Saturday, January 18, 2025
- Prayer for a Blessing on the New Year: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, December 31, 2024
- Daily Readings for Friday, January 17, 2025
- St. Anthony the Abbot: Saint of the Day for Friday, January 17, 2025
- St. Theresa of the Child Jesus: Prayer of the Day for Monday, December 30, 2024
Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.