Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the same Sen. Durbin who put the language in last February’s Omnibus spending bill to eliminate the D.C.Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP), now says he might be open to reauthorizing the program.
The Wall Street Journal Reports:
I have to work with my colleagues if this is going to be reauthorized, which it might be,” said Mr. Durbin at an appropriations hearing Tuesday morning. He also said that he had visited one of the participating private schools and understood that “many students are getting a good education from the program.
Talk of reauthorizing the program represents a 180 degree turn for Sen. Durbin, one of the program’s harshest critics to date. Sen. Durbin’s acknowledgement of the program’s positive impact puts him among a number of others who were originally skeptical about the program but later admitted the educational benefit of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.
The residents of the District of Columbia want this program. 70% of D.C. residents want the program to continue and a majority of the D.C. City Council members have signed a letter asking the program to be reauthorized. Now, it is up to Congress to do the will of the people and reauthorize it.
Well, well, well.
Could this be Durbin trying to distance himself from a ridiculous decision in the first place? Like he did not KNOW about the program's obvious success compared to public options in DC?
What is the Fighting Illini up to now?
I am disappointed with the Republican legislators that could not see this a great wedge issue to point out the racial hypocrisy of the Democrats. Republicans are so inept.
yes, it's racial hypocrisy in addition to not recognizing the parent's rights to best choose the schools that their children go to–that's the front and center issue. Obviously Mr. Durbin and everyone else who voted against their rights and in favor of forcing all to attend public school created the problem. Forcing kids into schools that aren't working also subjects them to obey what doesn't work. It's the same concept with the Obama health care.