November 10, 2005: Headlines: Figures: COS - Somalia: Politics: Congress: Oshkosh Northwestern: Many gather in Tom Petri’s office urging him to vote against budget bill
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November 10, 2005: Headlines: Figures: COS - Somalia: Politics: Congress: Oshkosh Northwestern: Many gather in Tom Petri’s office urging him to vote against budget bill
Many gather in Tom Petri’s office urging him to vote against budget bill
“This is actually one very small step in the budget process,” Petri said. “The bill has a lot of pluses and minuses and if it doesn’t pass then of course the bad things won’t happen, but the good things won’t either.” Congressman Tom Petri of Wisconsin served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Somalia in the 1960's.
Many gather in Tom Petri’s office urging him to vote against budget bill
Many gather in Tom Petri’s office urging him to vote against budget bill
By Amanda M. Wimmer
of The Northwestern
Students and environmentalists gathered Wednesday inside the Oshkosh office of Rep. Tom Petri, R-Wis., to urge him to vote against the budget reconciliation bill.
The House is expected to vote on the budget bill today that would cut spending by $53.9 billion over five years. Included in the bill is a $15 billion cut to fund higher education and provisions that would have allowed for oil drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge.
Democrats oppose the bill, while Republicans don’t yet have the votes to pass it.
Students gathered from both the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to express their concerns about the tuition cuts.
“I, as well as the rest of my family and a lot of my friends, depend on financial aid for school,” said Lauren Christopherson, a senior at UWO.
Others held signs to show their opposition to the bill.
One sign read: “Higher education is in the best interest of Wisconsin.”
Nine students also traveled to Oshkosh from UWM.
“I’m very concerned about cuts in student spending, it greatly affects me,” said Brent Kuhl, a sophomore at UWM. “My friends are in college and I would love to see them all succeed.”
Others from the Alaska Coalition of Wisconsin came to show their support for wildlife. Many also displayed signs reading, “Be our hero, save the Arctic refuge.”
“It doesn’t make sense to destroy a place for a couple drops of oil,” said Julie Handa, a field organizer for the group.
Handa and others went to Washington, D.C., and collected hundreds of postcards with pennies attached to show their opposition to the bill.
“We have gathered people to give their penny for an investment for our future,” said Handa. “Even when oil production from the refuge is at its peak, in 20 years, that oil will only reduce gas prices in the United States by about one penny per gallon. Hundreds have chipped in their penny already.”
Even though Petri opposes drilling in the wildlife refuge he said he’s waiting to see all provisions on the bill.
“This is actually one very small step in the budget process,” Petri said. “The bill has a lot of pluses and minuses and if it doesn’t pass then of course the bad things won’t happen, but the good things won’t either.”
Amanda M. Wimmer: (920) 426-6632 or awimmer@thenorthwestern.com.
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Story Source: Oshkosh Northwestern
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Somalia; Politics; Congress
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