Should the federal government dictate how much money is spent in
state budgets? The answer is yes, according to some legislators.
The House version of the Higher Education Act reauthorization bill has a provision that would deny funds to states if they do not spend enough money on public higher education institutions. The House will take up this bill early this year.
It isn’t anything new for Congress to withhold funds unless a
state enacts a certain policy (not that this is proper), but dictating
state spending takes this federal intrusion to a new level.
This provision has not been lost on the National Governors Association, which has sent a letter to members of Congress expressing their concerns.