Lynn C. Woolsey: “there's more than meets the eye when we hear the Republicans talking about their plans to keep the Government running…”

“there's more than meets the eye when we hear the Republicans talking about their plans to keep the Government running through the rest of the year. Their latest plan is to introduce a new temporary spending bill each month to keep the Government running. That plan might not appear too bad at first to the public but when the American people take a closer look they'll quickly see that this month-by-month approach will leave our schools and teachers with the two main ingredients for disaster--too little time and too little money! Right now is the time of year when schools--elementary schools, high schools, and colleges--begin to plan for the next school year which, in case my friends on the other side of the aisle have forgotten, begins in September. Schools can't wait until the new fiscal year to hire teachers, buy books and computers, and repair damaged buildings. If we don't pass a year-long appropriation, elementary and secondary schools won't know how many teachers they can afford to hire. They won't be able to plan special programs. Students at postsecondary schools could be hurt even more by the Republican strategy. If Congress does not set the maximum amount for Pell grants, colleges and universities won't be able to figure how much financial aid their eligible students will get. Even worse, students won't know if they will receive the financial aid they need to go to college. That's not how we should be treating our Nation's students.…”