Chris Dodd: “Again, Madam President, I am very grateful to my colleague from Rhode Island for pointing out matters I had not…”

“Again, Madam President, I am very grateful to my colleague from Rhode Island for pointing out matters I had not addressed; that is, these other areas of higher education. This is an assault on higher education. But more importantly, it is an assault on young people in this country who are going to provide the well-being. I always like to point out this Nation historically, even during times of our most significant crises, has found a time and a place to support higher education. I have often pointed out one of the first acts of Congress in 1789, as we were still struggling to get on our feet, was the Northwest Ordinance, which set aside lands for education. It was a rather remarkable accomplishment. Think of all the things the first Congress had to deal with. Education was one of the top priorities on their list. Then right in the middle of the Civil War--imagine the country divided, wondering whether we would survive as a nation--the Congress of the United States passed something called the Morrill Act, which was the land grant colleges. I believe the University of Rhode Island--I know the University of Connecticut got started as a land grant college, and I know colleges all across this country got their start because of the Morrill Act. Congress found the money during the great Civil War to fund higher education. Even before the end of World War II, before the defeat of nazism and the Japanese empire, the Congress passed the GI Bill.”