With less than a week until the first debate in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, the DCCC is unveiling “Five Days and Five Ways” that Washington insider David Young would hurt Iowa students with his plan to eliminate the Department of Education and cut funding for schools while giving tax breaks to the wealthy.
Today’s example: Pell Grants. David Young would cut $732.8 million from Pell Grant funding, affecting thousands of students.
“David Young has lived in Washington D.C. for two decades, so it should be no surprise that he does not value having good public schools in Iowa,” said Brandon Lorenz of the DCCC. “David Young’s proposal to eliminate the Department of Education while backing a budget that gives tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations would eliminate millions of dollars in Pell Grants for Iowa college students.”
BACKGROUND:
Young: “Of Course” He Would Get Rid of Department of EducationIn September 2013, when asked if he would get rid of the Department of Education, said “of course.”HOST: Education. Would you get rid of the Department of Education?YOUNG: I’d get rid of it as we know it, of course. But I would, you know, I would. [YouTube, 9/07/13]
Young: Federal Government in Education Should Only Enforce Discrimination In September 2013, Young said that the only role for the federal government in education would be to “enforce any discrimination.” “I would say that really the only role I see would be to just enforce any discrimination in education, and that could be done, really sort of lies with the Department of Justice. I think – I do not like the fact that the federal government is taking over our schools. I would like to see a time where the power is in your hands, the parents’ hands, and school boards’ hands,” Young said. [YouTube, 9/06/13]
Eliminating the Department of Education Would Cut Almost $4 Billion in Funds to Iowa, Including Over $732 Million in Federal Pell GrantsAccording to the Department of Education, they gave almost $4 billion in funds to Iowa in Fiscal Year 2013 and had requested over $4 billion in funds for Fiscal Year 2015. In 2013, Iowa received $732.8 million in federal Pell Grants from the Department of Education. [Department of Education, 7/14/14]
Young Embraced Republican Budget, Saying it was a “Good Thing” In 2014, at fundraiser with Congressman Paul Ryan, Young said the Ryan Budget “moves the ball down the field […] and that’s a good thing.” [Associated Press, 4/11/14]