The Hill News

Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D) met with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) Thursday in the first one-on-one sit-down between the two officials.

The duo met in Boehner's office in the Capitol building Thursday afternoon in what Gray's public schedule billed as an "introductory meeting."

Gray and Boehner likely discussed the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which has expired in part due to lack of Democratic support on Capitol Hill. The scholarships provided money to low-income District students to attend private schools.

But with Republicans now in control of the House, Boehner appeared with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) on Wednesday to announce his support for renewing the scholarships.

"There’s only one program in America where the federal government allo! ws parents from lower-income families to choose the schools that are best for their children, and it’s right here in D.C.," Boehner said. "It should be expanded, not ended. If we’re serious about bipartisan education reform, then this bipartisan education bill should be the starting point."

The subject could be a source of contention: Gray is opposed to the renewal of the scholarships, which were begun in 2004 under then-Mayor Anthony Williams (D).

Opponents of the scholarships, which include teachers unions, argue that they deplete the public school system of needed resources, thereby reducing the quality of education.

The meeting also comes one day after D.C. was snarled by a snowstorm, causing power outages and massive gridlock during the evening rush hour. President Obama's motorcade even got caught in the traffic returning from his appearance in Wisconsin.