Faith leaders demand Congress reject private school vouchers scheme – Americans United
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Washington, D.C. — Faith leaders, impacted families and students from across the country are rallying to demand Congress protect public education from damaging cuts to critical funding and programs in the reconciliation bill.
At a June 4 rally organized by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Popular Democracy, Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools, Pastors for Children and others, speakers shared how important public education is to American society and criticized the reconciliation process for targeting public education in its severe cuts to the social safety net.
In particular, the GOP’s reconciliation bill includes a $20 billion tax giveaway for private school vouchers to wealthy, private schools at the expense of Medicaid, the fourth largest funder of public schools. Not only will this bill deny health care to millions of Americans, but it will also leave public education vulnerable to defunding and privatization.
Speakers called out religious extremists for abandoning public school students, and made a clear demand: No more cuts to kids’ futures. Instead, Congress and our political leaders must stop the reconciliation bill and make meaningful investments in our public schools.
A video recording of last week’s rally is available here. Photos also are available and interviews can be arranged with participants upon request. Excerpts of speakers’ remarks are included below:
“ECCA harms public schools and undermines the American principle of separation of church and state,” said Rabbi Robert Barr, founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Adam, Ohio, and a member of Americans United’s Faith Advisory Council. “It is our moral responsibility to make sure our public education meets the highest standards. … Public education is vital because it serves all children without any form of discrimination, whereas private schools can reject students and staff based on their race, their ethnicity, their sexuality, and even based on their religion. We as faith leaders know that religious freedom is essential for our democracy. While we value religious freedom, it’s wrong for public dollars to be funding it. No citizen of our nation should be forced to fund another person’s religious beliefs. This violates the very spirit of what America is. When religion and government are co-mingled, it will hurt our government, it will hurt our nation, and it will hurt religion itself.”
“We’re here in the shadow of this Capitol to send a message: No vouchers! Public education is an American value. The ink in the Constitution wasn’t even dry when John Adams said: ‘let there not be one square mile without a school in it, paid for not by a wealthy charitable person, but for the public at the public’s expense.’ For all children!” said the Rev. Charles Foster Johnson, founder and executive director of Pastors for Children. “…for 30 years in Texas, we have defeated vouchers in a bipartisan coalition, and here in the national legislature we are going to defeat vouchers in a bipartisan coalition. … Vouchers are a corruption of God’s common good.”
“To those who believe in true goodness, equitable grace, and universal mercy, we believe that our work here today will not be in vain,” said the Rev. James Golden of Pastors for Florida Children. “We hope to find enough unhypocritical cooperation, unlimited compassion, and enduring courage among the Senators in this federal government that will allow them to be a representative government, of the people, for the people, and by the people, and that will give them the spirit to defeat the pernicious evil of these vouchers, which this first anti-president and his minions seek for their own evil purposes.”
“One thing should be clear: Parents shouldn’t have to state a religious testimony to access a government benefit,” said the Rev. Jennifer Hawks of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. “Vouchers (for private religious schools) do not advance religious freedom. If we want to see robust, healthy churches that are making a difference in their communities, vouchers cannot be on the game board. … We want public funds, in public schools, that have public accountability.”
“I come here from Texas, where our state Republicans passed a voucher scam,” said Ayaan Moledina of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT). “Vouchers simply don’t work – a $10k voucher scam cannot cover private education. For families living paycheck to paycheck, how can they cover the extra twenty, thirty thousand for tuition? And most private schools don’t accept vouchers, I know mine didn’t. What it is, is a tuition discount for ultrawealthy families already going to these schools.”
“Our public schools are a nourishing and stabilizing force in the lives of many American communities, the pillar in our communities, and the foundation of our democracy. More than 90 million American students attend public schools, but their education is threatened by million-dollar giveaways to the wealthy,” said Grace Francis of Step Up Louisiana. “I want to stop, take off the Band-Aid, and represent the bleeding of the Black and Brown communities.”
“This administration seeks to harm the most vulnerable among us, and tries to hide behind their faith to do that. We’re here to remind them that Jesus taught us to feed and clothe those who are in need, and to treat people with dignity and respect,” said Kyla McKay, board member of Texas Impact. “As a substitute teacher, I have worked in many schools, and in all of them I see the same thing: dedicated educators on a shoestring budget spending their own money to close gaps that shouldn’t exist. … Republicans want to take more money out of our already underfunded public schools and give it to private institutions that pick and choose whom they would like to serve. If we allow this, foster children, children with disabilities, low-income families, and those committed to public education will be left behind in schools whose funding has been gutted.”
“Public schools are the heart of our communities and the glue that holds together a functioning democracy – while the actions of this administration prove yet again their heartlessness. We all deserve access to free, high-quality education, and we will work tirelessly to defend it. Senators must lead with compassion as well as reason, and vote against this devastating reconciliation bill,” said Analilia Mejia and DaMareo Cooper, co-executive directors of Popular Democracy.
Americans United is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
Liz Hayes
Associate Vice President of Communications
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Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit educational and advocacy organization that brings together people of all religions and none to protect the right of everyone to believe as they want — and stop anyone from using their beliefs to harm others. We fight in the courts, legislatures, and the public square for freedom without favor and equality without exception.
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