2015: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against Requiring Washington, D.C. Schools Participating In D.C. School Voucher Program To Certify That Students Are Protected Under Civil Rights, Age Discrimination And Disability Laws. In October 2015, Schweikert effectively voted against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly "require[d] schools, in order to participate in the program, to certify that they will provide participating students with protections under civil rights, age discrimination, and disability laws." The underlying bill was H.R. 10, the Scholarship for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act which would have reauthorized the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The vote was on a motion to recommit. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 185 to 242. [House Vote 558, 10/21/15; Congressional Quarterly, 10/21/15]
- Rep. Robert Scott (D-VA): The D.C. Voucher Program Allows Government-Funded Discrimination Based On Gender In Admissions And Religion In Hiring. In a floor speech, Rep. Scott said, "The D.C. voucher program calls into question multiple Federal civil rights protections and turns a blind eye to the government-funded discrimination. For example, religious schools that accept vouchers are permitted to discriminate on the basis of religion in hiring, a violation of traditional principles prohibiting discrimination based on religion when using Federal money. [...] Furthermore, schools that accept vouchers are allowed to discriminate based on gender in admissions, a violation of the principles of title IX. In addition to the discrimination based on religion or sex, the D.C. voucher program also raises serious concerns about the civil rights of students with disabilities. IDEA requires that schools that receive Federal IDEA funds provide appropriate education to all students with disabilities, but at least one study found that the schools that accept D.C. vouchers serve students with disabilities at a much lower rate than public schools." [Congressional Record, 10/21/15]