Students Rally Against Education Cuts
By Simone Götesson
Members of the United States Student Association (USSA) and other union officials rallied outside the Capitol on Tuesday against a GOP budget plan that would cut state education budgets as well as programs that help students afford college.
“The funding is here, Congress just need to make it a priority,” AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler said during a set of remarks. “America can afford to educate its young people, and you know it, I know it, and this country needs to insure that everyone who dreams of a college education has the chance to achieve that dream.”
“When our federal legislatures allocate dollars for education, we as a nation get richer, not poorer,” Shuler added. “Our country becomes fairer, more adjusted, more competitive, more secure.”
The Republicans’ plan, H.R. 1, which passed in the House last month but later failed in the Senate, contains billions in cuts to federal education spending. In all, the measure would shred the current budget by $61 billion, with all of the reductions made within the discretionary budget.
While President Obama has signaled support for reigning in spending and reducing the nation’s bloated debt, he has stated an unwillingness to curtail education spending.
Those who attended the rally expressed concerns about the consequences that the budget cuts will have on a lot of students.
“If they cut the budget, I won’t be able to go to college full-time,” said Merriam Weatherhead, a freshman at Lane Community College in Eugene.
Genesis Robinson, a junior political science major at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, said it would be immoral for lawmakers to roll back education spending.
The rally also focused on pressuring Congress to re-open debate on the DREAM Act, which would put millions of teenage illegal immigrants who graduate high school on a pathway toward citizenship. The bill was rejected by the Senate right before the end of last year.
Connect