[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 968]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            COMMUNITY COLLEGES SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN

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                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 3, 2004

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, in his State of the Union address on 
Tuesday night, President George W. Bush proposed new job-training 
grants for community colleges. This Member is extremely pleased with 
this proposal, as the initiative would allow America's community 
colleges to train workers for the industries that are creating the most 
new jobs.
  Nebraska community colleges are certainly encouraged by the 
President's proposal, as evidenced by the November 22, 2004, Omaha 
World-Herald article entitled, ``Nebraska Educators Like Sound of Bush 
Proposals.'' Mr. Jerry Moskus, President of Metropolitan Community 
College in Omaha was quoted in the article saying, ``The great part 
about this was seeing the Members of Congress stand up and applaud for 
community colleges. I think that was the high point of my month.''
  Job training programs are essential, according to Mr. Barry Kennedy, 
President of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. ``Those of 
us involved with economic growth have been talking about this for the 
last year or so,'' Kennedy told the World Herald. ``We still have 
people who say they would hire more people if they could just find 
people with the skills they needed.''
  The President's proposal would also encourage students to take more 
rigorous courses in high school. As an incentive for students to take 
more demanding high school courses, the President's proposal would 
provide larger grants for college under the Pell Grant program. This 
program is said to be consistent with Nebraska's P-16 Initiative, an 
initiative that integrates a student's education beginning in preschool 
and ending with a 4-year college degree.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, this Member is intrigued and 
enthusiastically supportive of the President's proposal. Also, this 
Member would like to express his support for community colleges and the 
quality education they provide.

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