Last Thursday, the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. This important legislation would repeal the federal private voucher program created by the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill comes at a critical moment, as the federal voucher program begins next year and threatens to divert billions of taxpayer dollars into private schools instead of funding public schools that are open to every child.
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the press conference about the bill where U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Adelita S. Grijalva (D-AZ), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), and Bobby Scott (D-VA) spoke. Standing just steps from the Capitol, I felt something that has been in short supply lately when it comes to public education: hope. At a moment when public schools are increasingly under attack, it was inspiring to see leaders in Congress fighting to ensure that taxpayer dollars support public schools and the students they serve.
The federal voucher program is not a genuine investment in educational opportunity but a costly tax-credit scheme that redirects public resources to private schools. The program will allow individuals to receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for donating to organizations to pay for private-school vouchers. The program is also expected to cost taxpayers an estimated $26 billion in lost federal revenue over the next decade.
Supporters claim the federal program will help families access new educational opportunities by giving them more “choice.” But the reality is far different. The program will funnel billions of taxpayer dollars to private and religious schools that are not held to the same standards of accountability as public schools and often discriminate against students based on religion, disability, LGBTQ+ status, academic performance, and other characteristics. Public schools are required to serve every student who walks through their doors. Many private schools are not. Simply put, vouchers do not empower families to choose their schools so much as they empower schools to choose their families.
Nor is the program designed to help working families. While supporters often frame vouchers as a lifeline for low-income students, the federal voucherâs eligibility extends far beyond struggling households. In some areas, families earning as much as $500,000 annually could qualify for the voucher. Indeed, in similar private-school voucher programs in states across the country, up to 90 percent of vouchers went to families who already send their children to private schools. Meanwhile, the federal tax credit itself overwhelmingly benefits wealthy taxpayers who can afford to contribute up to $1,700 annually and reduce their federal tax bill by the same amount.
Moreover, voucher programs have repeatedly proven vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse. Arizona’s universal voucher program offers a cautionary example as public reporting has documented voucher funds being used for expenses ranging from trips to Disneyland to luxury purchases such as diamond jewelry, Kenmore appliances, and even lingerie, all which have little to do with educating children. The new federal voucher program risks repeating these same mistakes on a national scale.
For me, this fight is personal. Public schools gave me more than just an educationâ they gave me a place to belong. They helped shape my character, broaden my perspective, and prepare me for civic life. Everyday, public schools welcome students from every backgroundâregardless of religion, disability, income, sexual orientation, gender identity, or academic achievement. They are among the few institutions where people from different communities come together to learn from one another, which builds out the foundations of our democracy. The federal voucher program threatens to undermine that mission by diverting public resources to private institutions that can pick and choose whom they serve, leaving kids behind in the process.
Being at the Capitol for the press conference reinforced why this work matters. Every student deserves access to a strong public education, and public dollars should support schools that are accountable to the public.
The Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act would help bring us back to that mission by ensuring that federal education funding remains focused on public schools, where it belongs. Rather than creating subsidies for private education, Congress should invest in the schools that educate the overwhelming majority of American children.
Thatâs why weâre grateful for public-school champions in the U.S. House of Representatives introducing the bill and for Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI)âs leadership on the Senate bill, which they introduced in April. Reach out to your Representative and Senators and encourage them to co-sponsor the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act. Your voice matters in the fight to safeguard public education!
