Political Quotes

“this is a tale of two budgets. Let me point to one thing: $353 for an American Iraqi enterprise fund and job training. $353 million. Yet, the President's budget cut $316 million in the vocational education program. That represents a 24 percent cut there. Let me go on. There is a $20 million grant for higher education and development projects creating U.S. Iraqi university partnerships to expand access to higher education for all Iraqis. $100 million cut for the Perkins loan, which represents a 60 percent cut in that program here in the United States for college education, a $327 million cut in Pell Grants for low and moderate income children, closing the door to higher education for those children. We got a grant for Iraqi children going to college. In Illinois, my home, the average graduate from the University of Illinois gets a diploma and $20,000 in debt because of the cost of higher education in the United States. Yet, in Iraq job training and higher access to universities. Expanding literacy. We have $40 million dedicated to Iraq for rebuilding 275 schools and training 10,000 teachers for Iraqi schools. Yet, we have cut $8 million from reading programs in the Department of Education for American children. Another statistic. USAID accelerated learning program provides intensive personal education to low income and at-risk Iraqi children. At-risk Iraqi children and low income Iraqi children.”