WP: Senate GOP Sets New Voucher Strategy

[CShine]

Senate Republican leaders have settled on a plan designed to lead to passage of a controversial D.C. school voucher program in the next two weeks, unless Democrats mount a filibuster that would shut down District or many federal government operations.

The $13 million voucher plan, a version of which has passed the House, would provide at least 1,700 low-income District children with grants of as much as $7,500 a year to attend private or parochial schools. It would be the first federally funded voucher initiative in the country, delivering President Bush one of his top education priorities heading into next year's national election.

GOP leaders withdrew the plan from the Senate floor last month after Democrats waged a five-day filibuster, and the Senate moved on to other business. Republicans acknowledged at the time that they did not have the 60 votes required to cut off debate on the voucher measure, which is attached to the District's $5.6 billion 2004 budget.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) discussed the new GOP strategy in a private meeting with senators Thursday. According to senior GOP aides, Frist said Republicans are prepared to remove the voucher provision from the D.C. budget bill if necessary and to reinsert the language during a House-Senate conference committee on the legislation. As the majority party, Republicans also could attach the District budget to a bundle of other remaining federal appropriations bills during conference talks.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14260-2003Oct24.html