[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16979-16980]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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           FLATHEAD VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARS PROGRAM

 Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the work 
of a group of students enrolled in the Scholars Program at Flathead 
Valley Community College in Kalispell, MT.
  As a member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction 
charged with coming up with a plan to tackle the deficit, I asked my 
bosses--the people of the great State of Montana--to send me their 
ideas on how to reduce the deficit.
  Montana was built upon hard work, sacrifice, and values born on the 
frontier that remind us: we are all in this together. It is the same 
spirit that the Joint Select Committee must tap into in order to 
succeed.
  So far, I have received over 1,200 letters, calls, and e-mails from 
Montanans with thoughts on deficit reduction and ideas that implicate 
all aspects of the Federal budget.
  Montanans sent their suggestions on programs to trim or eliminate, 
where we could find additional sources of revenue, and where Congress 
should tread carefully, to not lose sight of those investments critical 
to the future of Montana and the entire United States.
  The challenge facing the Joint Select Committee also poses an 
important opportunity for us to learn as a nation and as students of 
history.
  That is why I invited Montana's colleges and universities to involve 
students in the discussions. Flathead Valley Community College took on 
this challenge with vigor.
  FVCC decided to incorporate this project into its Scholars Program, 
an honors program for the college's top students. The students spent 
almost a month on the project.
  As we have done in the Joint Select Committee, students started by 
reviewing reports issued by the Congressional Budget Office and the 
various bipartisan deficit-reduction plans. The students then met over 
a 2-week period to discuss their own ideas and debate the merits of 
each proposal. They all agreed that the group would come up with one 
plan to put forth to my office and to Congress.
  Now, before I talk about what the students have produced, it is 
important to say a word about Flathead Valley Community College and the 
community it serves. Kalispell, MT, is located in the upper 
northwestern corner of the State of Montana. Glacier National Park sits 
to the east, and the tip of Flathead Lake is to the south.
  There are few places in the world privileged to such natural beauty. 
But this area has not been immune to the tough economic climate. Far 
from it.
  The Flathead area, once dominated by the wood products industry, has 
witnessed the closure of some of its largest employers.
  While Montana's overall unemployment rate has remained below the 
national average, Flathead County is well above it, right now at almost 
10 percent. Surrounding Lincoln, Sanders, and Lake Counties currently 
sit at 13, 13.3, and 10 percent unemployment rates, respectively.

[[Page 16980]]

  Flathead Valley Community College has come to be viewed as the model 
for 2-year education, both in Montana and nationally.
  And like many 2-year colleges across the country, FVCC has 
experienced a significant increase in enrollment as a result of the 
economic downturn. Both young and old are returning to school to 
enhance their skills.
  Over the past 2 years, FVCC's enrollment increased by 43 percent. 
Last year, FVCC added 239 sections of classes and hired 89 new adjunct 
faculty members to meet increased demand.
  This past spring, FVCC graduated the largest class in its history, 
with 388 students receiving 438 degrees. One-fourth of those students 
were eligible for assistance through trade adjustment assistance or the 
Workforce Investment Act.
  I raise this because it is important to note that these students 
participating in this project are living this economic recession. I 
asked them to discuss and come up with deficit-reduction ideas. But 
they have done so with a keen eye on how these ideas could affect their 
community and the long-term impact on good-paying jobs.
  After all the discussions, debates, and, undoubtedly, some 
disagreements, the students came together and submitted a full summary 
of their proposal to reduce the deficit. The ideas are wide-ranging and 
span virtually all aspects of the Federal budget.
  For example, the students recognized that health care costs in this 
country pose a threat to the fiscal stability of the Nation. The 
students identified a series of ideas that could help in reducing 
health care costs, including incentivizing healthier lifestyles. The 
group also agreed that Congress should consider ideas for revenue. They 
highlighted areas such as corporate tax loopholes to find new sources 
of revenue. The students said Congress should look at reducing fraud 
and abuse in current programs.
  While the students devoted most of their time to finding ways to 
reduce the deficit, they also highlighted the importance of investment. 
The group agreed investment in education and scientific research is an 
important role for the Federal Government to play. As their report 
states, ``many of the fiscal problems facing the country could be 
ameliorated by improving citizens' chances for a quality education.'' I 
could not agree more.
  My hat goes off to the students and faculty for joining this 
important conversation for our families and for our country. It is 
clear from this report that they took this challenge seriously and 
understand the balance needed to address the deficit.
  I would like to recognize the great work of those involved, including 
President Jane Karas, Ph.D., Scholars Program Director Ivan Lorentzen; 
Outreach Coordinator for Career Pathways Jeremy Fritz; and Executive 
Director for Institutional Research Brad Eldredge, Ph.D. And, most 
importantly, I would like to commend the students who took on this 
project: Ursula DeStefano, Tracy Lost-Bear, Lisa Steelye, and Heather 
Frayle.
  It is my goal to make sure these students and their peers nationwide 
will be able to find good-paying jobs when they graduate. I am doing 
everything I can to address both our jobs deficit and our fiscal 
deficit so that we can leave our Nation in better shape than we found 
it for these students and their children.
  I thank Flathead Valley Community College, the instructors, and 
students for their thoughtful ideas. I hope the experience inspired 
them to stay involved. They took this project seriously and worked hard 
to find agreement. We in Congress must do the same. The future for 
these students and this country is at stake.

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