Joe Lieberman

The nomination of Robert M. Groves to be Director of the Census at the Department of Commerce comes at a critical time for the Census Bureau.

I just do not think there is a rational reason to terminate this program.

This does come down to individual lives and their ability to realize their God-given potential.

Thanks, Dr. Wolf. I agree it was less inspiring, but it was very important, and I thank you for that.

I find the sum total of this evidence to be very powerfully in favor of continuing the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

This program is not only good for the students who get to make the choice with their parents of where they want to go, it is good for the schools and the other students at the schools to which they go.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program has become an issue around which there is a great national debate.

Together we are going to fight to keep this program doing.

I have opposed many voucher programs because they did take money from public schools, but that is not the case here.

I greatly appreciate your leadership on numerous issues of great importance to the District of Columbia, our Nation's capital, especially, I want to say, on voting rights.

We wanted this hearing to be fair--a fair and open consideration of the pros and cons of the District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program.

The partial report we have is encouraging.

I applaud, as this Committee does, the work of my successor, Mayor Adrian Fenty, and our chancellor, Michelle Rhee, in giving unprecedented authority to the D.C. public school administration to act boldly, urgently, and aggressively.

I would not want my child in a school that was unsafe because how could the child learn in an unsafe environment?

Your story is really not just evidence of the impact of the program, but it is an inspirational story.

Remember, our children are our future, and without this proper education, what type of future will we have?

It is because, first, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has historically had jurisdiction over matters related to the District of Columbia.

The agreement resulted in more money for D.C.'s public schools, for the traditional schools, and for the public charter schools, as well as for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarships.

The D.C. OSP has met a tough standard for efficacy in serving low-income, inner-city students.

I strongly urge the Committee to pass the reauthorization for the program.

We happen to have the facts on our side. We also happen to have justice on our side.

I would agree with Senator Voinovich. I would say that at a very minimum, we allow the program to continue and evaluate it on its original terms before we stop it, undermine it, short circuit it, and claim it is a failure.

I still support the elevation of this position and hope to take up legislation that attempts to do so again this year.

Wishing that does not make it so.

It is my hope that the Committee and the Senate will be able to act on your nominations in the near future.