Manchin Questions Devos about Administration Plans to Eliminate Substance Abuse Treatment and Counseling in Schools
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) questioned U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos about the proposed FY 2019 budget for the U.S. Department of Education that eliminates funding for the Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants program. Most recently, Congress appropriated $1.1 billion to the SSAEG program in the FY 2018 Omnibus. In West Virginia, this block grant can be used to provide mental health services and counseling to students who are dealing with addicted parents or facing addiction themselves.
“You’ve gone from $400 million up to $1.1 billion, which I am very much appreciative of. But then it goes right back to nothing. I don’t know how. The flexibility that we had with those grants enabled us to intervene and identify students who came from addicted homes and it’s imperative we have some way of doing that,” Senator Manchin said.
To watch Senator Manchin’s questioning, click here.
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