WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback applauded yesterday's action by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund Marriage Development Accounts and the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program, two programs to benefit residents in the District of Columbia.

"The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program provides better educational options and true school choice to families who otherwise could not afford an alternative to public schools," said Brownback. "Since its inception, the Opportunity Scholarship program has served more than 2,600 students, and 90 percent of parents whose children participate in the program are satisfied with their children's education and safety. Without this funding, 86 percent of OSP kids would have been sent back to failing D.C. public schools."

The Appropriations Committee approved $14 million for Fiscal Year 2009 to continue the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program, designed to provide educational scholarships to low-income families to be used to send children to non-public schools. Opportunity Scholarships provide up to $7,500 per student per year to fund tuition, fees and transportation expenses for K-12 education for low-income families. The average household income of participating families is $22,736 for a family of four.

"I am also pleased that the Appropriations Committee voted to fund the Marriage Development Accounts," said Brownback. "In the District of Columbia, 57 percent of all babies are born to single mothers. MDAs have the potential to help couples get married and avoid the disincentives built into the welfare system. Many single parents valiantly raise wonderful children, but we want to ensure that wherever possible, the tax code and the welfare system encourage, and not discourage a mother and father to get married."

The Appropriations Committee made available $1.25 million to subsidize the cost of federal benefits that are often lost when a couple gets married, such as Medicare and TANF, for low-income couples who choose to marry. Funds in the bill will be available to match up to 75 percent of every dollar that D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty provides to newly-married couples to compensate for their loss of federal benefits.

$2.25 million will be used to fund D.C. Marriage Development Accounts, which offset the financial disincentive to marriage in the welfare system. Couples' contributions to MDAs are matched at a ratio of 3:1 by the Federal government and partnering private institutions. MDAs can be used for education, buying a home, and starting a business. As a requirement of participation, couples receive training that helps them repair their credit, set a budget and savings schedule, and manage their money. They also receive bonuses in their MDA accounts if they receive marriage counseling.