District of Columbia

Promoting Public Education: Fighting Vouchers in Our Nation’s Capital

Eight years later, study after study has demonstrated that the DC vouchers have failed to achieve their purported goals. Nevertheless, conservatives in Congress are pushing to resurrect and expand this failed scheme. While there is no doubt that educational opportunities and standards must be improved across the country, allocating money to private schools at the expense of public school students is not the way to succeed. Public dollars must continue to fund public services.
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People For the American Way Opposes DC Vouchers, H.R. 471

On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of members of People For the American Way, we urge you to oppose H.R. 471, the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act, which Speaker Boehner introduced last week. This bill would reauthorize the DC private school voucher program, the “temporary five-year pilot” program that has existed since 2003.
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Promoting the Right to Vote: Enfranchising Our Nation’s Capital

Nearly 600,000 Americans live in Washington, DC, and they deserve the right to representation in Congress like everyone else. We must take steps to fully enfranchise Americans living in our nation’s capital.
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DC Council Passes Marriage Equality Legislation

The DC City Council today gave final approval to legislation that will extend marriage equality to same-sex couples. Mayor Adrian Fenty has promised to sign the law, which will go into effect after the Congressional review period has elapsed.
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DC Council Gives Preliminary Approval to Marriage Equality Legislation

The D.C. City Council today voted 11-2 to approve legislation that would allow same-sex couples to be married in the District of Columbia. The legislation will be voted on again in two weeks, at which time it will be sent to Mayor Adrian Fenty, who has promised to sign it.
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Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Samuel Statement on the Upcoming Vote on the DC Marriage Bill

As the DC Council prepares to vote on a bill granting equal marriage rights to gay and lesbian Americans, Rev. Kenneth L. Samuel, Senior Pastor of Victory For the World Church in Atlanta and Senior Fellow of People For the American Way, said, "The DC Council now has such a momentous opportunity to prove to the nation that marriage equality is indeedthe next step toward full equality for all citizens."
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Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009: Written Testimony of Peter Mongomery, Senior Fellow, People For the American Way

Written Testimony of Peter Montgomery, Senior Fellow, People For the American Way on behalf of the Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009.
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Peter Montgomery's Testimony on Behalf of Marriage Equality in DC

Peter Montgomery, Senior Fellow at People For the American Way, testifies on behalf of marriage equality in the District of Columbia.
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Rev. Samuel Statement on Marriage Hearing

Today, the DC City Council will hear public testimony on legislation that would allow same sex couples to be legally married in the District. Reverend Kenneth Samuel, Senior Fellow at People For the American Way and a member of PFAW's African American Ministers In Action program, said, "I'm proud that our nation's capitol is poised to give equal marriage rights to all the citizens of the District, and I want to thank the council members who are standing up for the rights of all people."
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Bishop Harry Jackson Worried That Right Wing Racism Hurts His Anti-Gay Crusade

Bishop Harry Jackson, who is leading a campaign to prevent same-sex couples in the District of Columbia from being able to legally marry, is employing increasingly divisive rhetoric designed to push a wedge between the District’s African Americans and supporters of gay rights in the city.
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Senate Rejects Extension of DC Voucher Plan

The Senate today rejected an amendment that would have continued sending taxpayer money to the District of Columbia school voucher program. The legislation, which was not reviewed by any Senate committee, was defeated by a vote of 58 to 39.

"Congress deserves an A-plus for this decision," said People For the American Way president Kathryn Kolbert. "School vouchers have always been about ideology, not education," said Kolbert.

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DC Voting Rights Act Passes in the Senate

Statement of Tanya Clay House, PFAW Public Policy Director, on the news of Senate passage of the D.C. Voting Rights Act: "This is an historic victory for DC voting rights activists, the 600,000 District residents, and all who care about democracy. I'm proud that People For could play a substantial part in helping to enfranchise the 600,000 residents of the District of Columbia. We hope District residents will not have to wait much longer for voting representation on important issues of the day."
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Senators Clear Path Toward Granting Full Representation For District Residents

Following today’s 62-34 cloture vote on the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act (S. 160), a bill that would give DC a representative with full voting rights in the House, PFAW President Kathryn Kolbert released the following statement: "I'm thrilled that the Senate finally seems to be ready to pass this legislation. It's disgraceful that citizens of our nation's capital have been denied a vote on critical issues of the day from equal pay for equal work to the important economic recovery act. Today's cloture vote is an important step forward."
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McCain Uses NAACP Conference to Push Anti-Public Education Voucher Ploy

During his speech today at the NAACP’s annual convention, John McCain reiterated his support of taxpayer funded vouchers to send children to religious and other private schools. People For the American Way President Kathryn Kolbert said, "John McCain is trying to score points with his right wing base, and he’s doing it at the expense of children. It’s bad enough that these voucher schemes are designed to undermine the separation of church and state."

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Flaws and Failings

In early 2004, Congress passed, and President Bush signed into law, an omnibus appropriations act that also created a new federally-funded school voucher program in the District of Columbia, the first such federally-funded voucher program in the country.

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