[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 12 (Monday, January 26, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROPOSAL

  (Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, 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.

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