ACLU Letter to HASC Opposing Vouchers in NDAA

In this letter, the ACLU urged the House Armed Services Committee to oppose the inclusion of the Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act of 2018 (H.R. 5199), or any similar proposal, as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2019. The letter was sent in advance of the committee beginning consideration of the NDAA. H.R. 5199 would transform Impact Aid, a longstanding federal program that provides funding to school districts that have lost local tax revenue due to the presence of federal tax-exempt land—such as military installations and Native American reservations—into a private school voucher program that would undermine public school systems. At the same time, the program would allow public dollars to flow to educational providers free from accountability, and strip students of rights and protections.