House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) and Senator Joseph Lieberman (I., Conn.) are pressing the president to fully implement the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act.
Boehner’s official Speaker blog reports:
The president inexplicably chose to zero out funding for the program in his budget proposal, contradicting the very law he signed. Based on the president’s budget, the Department of Education has said it intends to cap enrollment in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which also contradicts the law. The Speaker and Senator Lieberman made clear that the SOAR Act does not impose a cap on enrollment and a robust evaluation is mandated by the law.
After complaints on congressional letterhead failed to spur the administration into action, the pair pitched Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Sunday for presidential support. Boehner’s blog cautioned what might happen if the administration fails to fund the measure:
What are the consequences if the Obama Administration continues to defy the law? Hundreds of underprivileged students in the District of Columbia will be denied access to a lasting, quality education through a program that has an excellent track record of success. For eight years the scholarship program has empowered low-income parents to choose the best learning environment for their children, giving them an opportunity to receive a quality education while the District of Columbia takes steps to reform its public schools.