DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING – Former-Mayor Tony Williams is the first speaker on panel two.

He takes on the common charge that the voucher program was forced on the district by the congress. He says that’s not true, listing the broad support the program had among district leaders at the time.

He also points out that there was very strong support among patents. He is pleased to see that after 5 years, the program is working. He says that the mandated evaluation proves the program is a effective in improving education.

He says that he is also pleased to see that the GAO found that the program was being managed relatively effectively.

He says that school choice is thriving in Washington DC. He urges the program to be continued. He can’t understand why anyone would want to eliminate a program that is working and improving the lives of thousands of children.