Virginia Foxx: “Last week in his State of the Union Address, President Obama proposed to fund publicly the first 2 years of community…”

“Last week in his State of the Union Address, President Obama proposed to fund publicly the first 2 years of community college for all Americans. As a former community college president, I am a huge fan of community colleges and the great educational opportunities they provide students from all walks of life. However, I am reminded of the old Peanuts cartoon where Linus says to Lucy: ``Every time there's a good suggestion, someone brings up the budget.'' Making higher education affordable and attainable for America's students must be a priority, but President Obama's $60 billion proposal is the wrong approach for the Federal Government to take. Rather than yet another top-down Federal Government boondoggle, we need to focus on new ways to promote innovation, access, and completion, and we need to eliminate Federal impediments that prevent institutions from delivering higher education in more creative, cost-effective ways. ____________________”