Reps. Huffman, Raskin Statement on Republicans’ Push to Divert Billions in Federal Funding to Private, Religious Schools

May 21, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressional Freethought Caucus Co-Chairs Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement regarding House Republicans’ plan to divert billions of dollars in public funds to private, religious schools through a voucher tax giveaway in the new reconciliation package:

“Republicans once again are showing the American people where their priorities lie: with the wealthy and well-connected, rather than with working families —especially rural families. Buried in their reconciliation package is a deeply harmful proposal— the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA)—which would create a completely new dollar-for-dollar tax credit and corporate stock windfall scheme—for individuals and corporations that funnel money to organizations providing scholarships or vouchers for private or religious K-12 schools.

“Pulled directly from the Project 2025 playbook, this policy move is a billion-dollar backdoor scheme to drain public resources from neighborhood schools to fund private institutions that aren’t required to provide a free and appropriate public education to all students. This bill would send federal funds to private and parochial institutions that are not required to follow basic standards of accountability, transparency, and nondiscrimination. These institutions can—and often do—exclude students, families, and staff based on religion, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Using public dollars to support such discriminatory practices and sectarian instruction is a clear violation of the separation of church and state. It’s a gift-wrapped tax break for the wealthy masqueraded as education policy.

“When given the opportunity to vote on these schemes, voters from Colorado and Kentucky to ruby-red Nebraska rejected voucher programs. Voucher programs do not improve students’ academic achievement, and they don’t offer real options for low-income or rural families who lack access to private schools. Taxpayer funds should serve the public good—not subsidize private institutions that serve only a select few.”

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