Testing in, vouchers out as House approves education bill

From Major Garrett
CNN White House Correspondent
and Ted Barrett
Capitol Hill Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a strong show of bipartisanship, the House overwhelmingly approved an education bill Wednesday that requires annual student testing, advancing one of President George W. Bush's top legislative priorities.

In a statement, Bush called the vote "a giant step toward improving America's public schools."

"The education reforms adopted build on the principles of accountability, flexibility, local control and greater choices for parents," Bush said.

Ironically, in the end, more Democrats than Republicans supported the measure, which passed 384-45. Changes in the bill angered some conservative Republicans, who complained that Bush made too many compromises to appease Democrats -- particularly in abandoning a "voucher" plan that would have let public money go to private schools in some limited circumstances.

Still, in the end, it was the largest bipartisan majority the Bush White House has yet assembled on a major piece of legislation. White House officials said it was proof that Bush can round up bipartisan support on key agenda items.

MESSAGE BOARD Education reform

The Senate is scheduled to take up its version of Bush's education reform plan Thursday, and it could be on the president's desk for his signature shortly after Congress' Memorial Day recess. The expected departure of Sen. James Jeffords, R-Vermont., from GOP ranks is not expected to affect the outcome of the bill because of the level of bipartisan support, Senate sources say.

The House bill requires, for the first time, annual testing of students in English and math as a means of measuring school performance and holding schools accountable.

But the House stripped the bill of controversial provisions authorizing federal money for private school tuition, a so-called "voucher" plan that Bush had originally supported. In its final form, the bill also gives states more flexibility in spending federal money than the administration had proposed.

Before Wednesday's final vote, the House rejected an amendment offered by Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, and Education Committee Chairman John Boehner, R-Ohio, that would have allowed students in failing or unsafe schools to use federal funds to help pay for tuition at private schools.

These so-called "vouchers" are popular with Republicans, but Democrats said the amendment was a "poison pill" that would threaten bipartisan support for the entire education package. It was defeated 273-155.

Bush signaled several months ago that he would not fight for vouchers in return for Democratic support for student testing and other provisions in the bill.