The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has passed the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act by a margin of 21 to 14. As NRO reported earlier, the SOAR Act would reinvigorate the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which would distribute a limited number of vouchers to low-income students in the district so they could attend private schools.
“Today’s vote continues the bipartisan momentum to restore educational choice and opportunity for schoolchildren in the District of Columbia,” says Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif), the committee’s chairman, in a statement. “Independent studies and reports from parents and students have validated the educational benefits the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program has provided to low-income D.C. students. Without the robust and steadfast opposition of teachers’-union special-interest groups, I believe there would have been consensus of support for this commonsense proposal. ”
Although Sen. Joe Lieberman (I., Conn.) has introduced the bill’s counterpart in the Senate, one education-reform expert has warned me, “I do not see a way we can get to 60.” In fact, not one House Democrat voted in favor of the bill. See the roll call below. #more#
Republicans (Yes)
Rep. Darrell E. Issa (CA-49), Chairman
Rep. Dan Burton (IN-05)
Rep. Michael Turner (OH-03)
Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (NC-10)
Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04)
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (UT-03)
Rep. Connie Mack (FL-14)
Rep. Tim Walberg (MI-7)
Rep. James Lankford (OK-5)
Rep. Justin Amash (MI-3)
Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-25)
Dr. Paul Gosar (AZ-1)
Rep. Raul Labrador (ID-1)
Rep. Pat Meehan (PA-7)
Dr. Scott DesJarlais (TN-4)
Rep. Joe Walsh (IL-8)
Rep. Trey Gowdy (SC-4)
Rep. Dennis Ross (FL-12)
Rep. Frank Guinta (NH-1)
Rep. Blake Farenthold (TX-27)
Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-3)
Republicans (No)
Rep. Todd Platts (PA-19)
Republicans (Not Voting)
Rep. John L. Mica (FL-07)
Democrats (No)
Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD-7), Ranking Member
Rep. Edolphus Towns (NY-10)
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-14)
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.)
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH-10)
Rep. John Tierney (MA-6)
Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-1)
Rep. Gerald Connolly (VA-11)
Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-5)
Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-1)
Rep. Peter Welch (VT-At Large)
Rep. Christoper Murphy (CT-5)
Rep. Jackie Speier (CA-12)
Democrats (Not Voting)
Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA-9)
Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5)
Rep. John Yarmuth (KY-3)
Rep. Danny Davis (IL-7)