Race to the Top Program Faces Budget Cut

House Democrats are threatening to cut $500 million from Obama’s education program Race to the Top, reports The Washington Post. Although the White House says it will veto, Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis.), chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said the cut is necessary to free up money for a new $10 billion fund to help save more than 100,000 state and municipal education jobs. The House approved the war-funding bill late Thursday, including another $5 billion for Pell grants for college students in need. The administration supports the $15 billion total in education spending but opposes the provision to cut spending on Race to the Top.
Thus far, Tennessee won $500 million and Delaware won $100 million in Race to the Top’s first round in March. Just before the House vote, the White House released a statement saying, “It would be shortsighted to weaken funding for these reforms just as they begin to show such promise.” As the bill goes to the Senate, the administration hopes to persuade the senators to keep the funding for Race to the Top.
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