After backing public funds for private schools, Bresnahan claims not to support vouchers
Republican congressional nominee Rob Bresnahan has repeatedly endorsed public funding for private and religious schools.

Rob Bresnahan, the Republican nominee for the House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, said during an Oct. 22 debate with his opponent, Democratic incumbent Rep. Matt Cartwright, that he does not back using public education funds to pay for private and religious schools.
The claim, however, contradicts previous statements Bresnahan has made about the issue.
The Cook Political Report rates the race between Cartwright and Bresnahan a toss-up.
In one exchange, Cartwright contrasted his education policy views with Bresnahan’s: “I support public education. My opponent supports a voucher system, where you can siphon money out of public education and give it to people who want to use that voucher and send their kids to private school. It only helps people that are already sending their kids to private school. I am absolutely opposed to taking money out of public education to do that.”
Bresnahan responded: “I don’t even know what school voucher program you’re referencing or throwing mud at me on. So I’d yield my time to allow you to explain what I’m so far against.”
Cartwright began: “Absolutely. School voucher programs, Rob, are things where you take money out of public school and you hand it —”
“No, I’m asking why I’m against it. You just said I’m against something that I’m not,” Bresnahan interrupted, ignoring Cartwright’s specific claim.
“You’ll have to explain that,” Cartwright continued. “You’ve said that in public, that you’re for school voucher programs, and that’s for you to explain.”
“No, I did not,” Bresnahan answered.
Four days before the debate, however, Bresnahan told the Pike County Courier: “While I’m running for federal office and cannot change state laws, I strongly support expanding school choice. Every child is unique, and parents should have the freedom to choose an education plan that suits their child’s needs, whether that’s vocational training, traditional classrooms, or homeschooling. I believe the U.S. Department of Education can incentivize school choice through federal funding, encouraging states to provide more options for families.”
In a July 30 interview with right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt, first flagged by the progressive research group American Bridge 21st Century, Bresnahan was even more explicit in his support for what advocates of the use of government funding for education outside of public schools call “school choice”: “School choice is certainly a conversation that we have a lot with people on the ground. I personally feel that the dollar should follow the child.”
A Bresnahan campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Experts say school voucher programs through which taxpayer funding can be used to pay for private school tuition drain money from public schools, hurt kids from low-income families, and do not improve student achievement. Research has found that states that have implemented voucher programs have seen worsened education outcomes as a result.
Cartwright has been endorsed in the race by both the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, Pennsylvania.
After the debate, Cartwright said in an emailed statement to the Pennsylvania Independent: “Draining money from our public schools and communities to fund fancy private education is reckless and out of touch. I’m the only candidate fighting for public education — who stands by his word.”