Congresswoman Simon Opposes Republican Bills that Threaten Further Takeover of Washington D.C., Demands Protection for Disabled Students.

Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) opposed a series of Republican bills in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that aim to tighten federal control of Washington, D.C., push racialized and false narratives about crime to falsely justify a larger federal presence in cities, criminalize homelessness, force children as young as fourteen to be placed in the adult criminal system, and undermine local governance in the District.

During the markup, Congresswoman Simon offered an amendment to protect disabled students in schools in Washington, D.C. The amendment would prohibit a school from receiving federal funding through the Opportunity Scholarship Program, a private school voucher program, unless that school provides services and supports guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and discrimination protections under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 to disabled students using vouchers.

"My amendment would guarantee that children's civil rights -rights that were hard-won- are not denied to them by their schools in D.C. amidst this hostile takeover by the current administration," said Congresswoman Simon.

Congresswoman Simon is the first congenitally blind member to serve in Congress, and a leader in the disability policy space. Earlier this month, Rep. Simon led her colleagues in a letterto the Secretary of Labor expressing alarm at the Department's failure to protect federal contractors with disabilities. During Disability Pride Month, Congresswoman Simon and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced the Disability and Age in Jury Service Nondiscrimination Act, legislation to prohibit the exclusion or disqualification of disabled or elderly jurors in federal jury service. In June 2025, Congresswoman Simon's bipartisan bill to expand employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and help small businesses become more accessible unanimously passedthe House of Representatives. In May 2025, Congresswomen Simon and Jahana Hayes (D-CT-05) introducedthe See the Board Act, legislation directing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make grants available to nonprofits that provide free, mobile vision services for K-12 students in public schools.

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