Over fierce Democratic opposition, the House on Wednesday approved a bill to re-establish a school choice voucher system for Washington, D.C., residents.
The vote came a day after the White House said it opposed the program but stopped short of threatening to veto the legislation.
The bill, H.R. 471, was approved on a 225-195 vote. Only one Democrat, Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.), voted for the bill, and nine Republicans voted against it: Reps. Judy Biggert (Ill.), Robert Dold (Ill.), Sam Graves (Mo.), Morgan Griffith (Va.), Timothy Johnson (Ill.), Frank LoBiondo (N.J.), Ron Paul (Texas), Dave Reichert (Wash.) and Mike Simpspon (Idaho).
Restoring the D.C. voucher system was a top priority for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who sponsored the bill. Boehner fought back tears in defending the measure on the House floor, as he recalled D.C. parents who were grateful for educational choice.
Full story: House passes Boehner’s DC school voucher bill over Dem objections