Update November 3, 2010: Pat Toomey has been elected as the next Senator from the great state of Pennsylvania.
I just learned (via Twitter) the Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey proposed budget cuts to Federal international education programs as a way to offset some of the cost of the tax cuts he proposes.
On Sunday, October 24th while speaking with Christopher Wallace of Fox News (video below ~ focus on cutting international education programs starts at the 7:17 minute mark), Mr. Toomey stated the following: "You know, we found 75 different programs between the Department of Education and the Department of State that all subsidize one form or another of overseas student travel and student education. That's the kind of waste and duplication that we can rein in."
Update April 14, 2011: Fox video no longer available but transcript of the interview is available at http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/transcript/pat-toomey-and-joe-manchin-039fox-news-sunday039
Update July 26, 2011: Looks like the video is back.
The day after the Fox News interview, Mr. Toomey was interviewed by Larry Kudlow on CNBC (video below ~ focus on cutting international education programs starts at the 0:26 minute mark) and he [Mr. Toomey] again focused on cutting/consolidating the 75 different international education programs of the Departments of State and Education and stated: "Well, I’d bring an end to bailouts. I would rescind the unspent portion of the stimulus. I would prohibit earmarks…I’d also like to consolidate programs. You know, we discovered 75 different programs between the Departments of State and Education that all subsidize overseas travel for students, in one way or another. It’s ridiculous! We don’t need 75 such programs."
To be sure, Mr. Toomey's views on Federal international education programs is not new. What is new is that a major candidate for the United States Senate has specifically mentioned cutting/consolidating international education programs during two separate interviews on major television outlets only days before the election.
This is frustrating for multiple reasons. Not only does he not understand the larger implications for reducing those funds, but he clearly has no appreciation for how globalized our economy and society are.
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