DC School Choice Program: A "Weird [Although Bipartisan!] Obsession"?

Here's a piece, informative but with biased snark, from the Washington Post (generally fairer on these things in its news columns) about how some congressional Democrats are joining Republicans in resisting the D.C. Council's push to end the voucher program. As a previous Post story put it:

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said in a statement that private school vouchers are needed because the D.C. public school system, “often cited as one of the worst in the country, is absolutely failing these children.” He was joined by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.)

As usual, the political battle is being fought mostly over whether school choice is helpful to educational performance. Behind it, however, are the questions whether parents should be able to receive K-12 educational benefits even when they choose a religiously grounded education for their children--and whether participating schools should have to follow all the nondiscrimination requirements applicable to public schools.