The Republican’s
ridiculously regressive federal budget proposal was narrowly approved by the
GOP-controlled House of Representatives yesterday, with Politico calling it “essentially
a political document that has no chance of being passed in the
Democratic-controlled Senate.”
And that’s a good
thing, considering Congressman Jim Langevin said in a statement after voting
against the budget bill, “In Rhode Island, the impacts will be felt
particularly hard.”
And then he went into
some detail:
For higher education, 2,440 fewer
students would be awarded Pell grants and, overall, Rhode Island students would
receive $12.7 million less in Pell Grant funding.
The pain will be shared by
early childhood and secondary education as well, with Title I support available
to almost 9,000 fewer students and 550 Head Start slots eliminated.”
Slashing Pell Grants
and Head Start slots? This can’t be what Rep. Paul Ryan meant when he told
Politico, “It will cut wasteful spending.” But then, he couldn’t even get all
the Republicans to support this bill; 12 instead stood with Langevin, David
Ciclline and every other House Democrat in opposing it.
“At a time when Rhode
Island is slowly pulling out of the recession, this budget pushes that progress
back, protecting tax breaks and tax loopholes for corporations and millionaires
at the expense of middle class families,” Langevin said. “I am opposed to
everything this budget stands for, including the gutting of investments in
education, biomedical research and infrastructure.”
Bob Plain is the
editor/publisher of Rhode Island's Future. Previously, he's worked as a
reporter for several different news organizations both in Rhode Island and
across the country.