Congressional inaction robs students
As one of the premier research universities, a thriving academic institution and a member of a health system, VCU would face an immensity of challenges should the worst come to pass.
Shane Wade
Opinion Editor
Reading through President Michael Rao’s message to VCU students, faculty and staff about the sequestration on Monday night was an unnerving experience. The feeling was akin to reading about the unfortunate death of a student or some impending natural disaster set to strike our university.
But with more than $1 trillion of federal budget cuts at stake, the experience isn’t too far off.
Sequestration is the cancellation of budgetary resources, an act stipulated within the ironically titled Budget Control Act of 2011. The supercommittee originally assigned to prevent the occurrence of said sequestration failed to effectively negotiate and perform their duty. According to an infographic produced by the National Education Association, federal education programs would suffer a reduction in funding ranging from 7.8 or 8.4 percent. The White House itself found the sequestration would cost Virginia more than $838 million.
As one of the premier research universities, a thriving academic institution and a member of a health system, VCU would face an immensity of challenges should the worst come to pass.
In short, the daily, essential and vital elements that govern and support our university would reach a new level of vulnerability.
Time after time, education has received the short end of the budgetary stick. Students have already experienced cuts to summer Pell Grants, new eligibility requirements for the Pell Grant program, the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnerships grant program, in-school interest exemption for graduate and professional students and interest exemption during the six-month period for individuals who’ve recently graduated.
This sequester is the result of procrastination from our highest elected officials. Stalled negotiations and the general do-nothingness of the current and previous Congress have brought us nothing but weakness. Politicians pledging to protect ideals have repeatedly squandered chances to take action, make a difference and lobby for their constituents.
We’ve experienced negligence on a national and Congressional scale.
It’s time for our elected officials to do more than legislate and self-promote; it’s time for them to govern. Legislators cannot make the perfect, or what they perceive to be perfect, the enemy of the good and for our legislators to act as our allies and not our enemies. There’s a time to run for office and that time is not at the time when our national economic stability is at question.
If you do nothing else today, find out what your Congressional representatives have done for you and for this nation. Spend five minutes to contact your representative, the individual that is your voice in Congress.
Let them know that under no circumstances can we tolerate or withstand any decrease in funding.
