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Hurricane-Relief Bills Pile Up in Congress

Senate measure sparks controversy on religion.

Congress continues to debate—and add to—a long list of proposals that would provide federal education aid to districts damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and others taking in students displaced by the storms. But the initial urgency for school aid appears to have stalled, and by late last week those proposals had made little progress.

The newest plan, introduced in the Senate on Oct. 20, may be one that stands a good chance of progressing. A bipartisan bill sponsored by Senate education leaders, it aims to avoid some of the controversy raised by other plans by using money channeled through public schools to reimburse private schools taking in hurricane-displaced students. That contrasts with proposals to offer aid through vouchers, with parents directing where the money would go.

But the new plan may spark a controversy of its own, over restrictions on the use of such funding for religious...