Thanks so much Maine Delegation!!  News of your efforts have gone to the Board of Trustee meeting today via our UMF President.  #TRIO Works!!!

Lynn Ploof-Davis
Director of TRIO Programs
Upward Bound/Johnson Scholars
University of Maine at Farmington
207-778-7297
(C) 207-491-6862




> On Mar 24, 2017, at 12:34 PM, Karen Keim <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Hello MEEOA,
> 
> Your Maine Delegation took the Hill and we had some great results.  The
> team included:
> 
>   - Karen Keim, Director TS & EOC and Maine Team Leader
>   - Megan Kidder, USM UB Alumni and English Teacher
>   - Jane Kimball Foley, Director SSS YCCC and President-Elect NEOA
>   - Betty McCue Herily, Assistant Director SSS UMA  Bangor Campus and
>   President-Elect MEEOA
>   - David Megquier, Retired TRIO Director
>   - Kevin Richards, UM UBMS Alumnus and Director of Student Life at KVCC
> 
> *We had meetings with all four members:*
> *Senator Collins* 30-minutes plus a photo op, we spent another hour with
> six of her staff about 20-minutes with her education aide.  Collins said
> yes to all our asks, she also hosted a TRIO Caucus meeting prior to our
> Hill visits to help us move our agenda along.  Her staff tried to get her
> to leave us four different times, she refused to leave until *she* was done
> talking and listening to us.
> 
> *Senator King* 15-minutes plus a photo op.  We met with 5 of his staff and
> 30-minutes with his education aide.  At the end of our meeting the Senator
> said "I feel a floor speech coming!" Taking TRIO and Gear Up to the floor
> of the Senate is exactly what we need.
> 
> *Congressman Poliquin* did not meet with the delegation.  We met with his
> new education aid.  It was a positive meeting. She said although he
> wouldn't sign the TRIO letter he would author his own and she would work
> with Senator Collins' staff to make sure the language was similar to her
> letter (GREAT NEWS).
> 
> *Congresswoman Pingree* met with the delegation for about 5 minutes stating
> "I support TRIO and will do all in my power to move the TRIO agenda
> forward."  Her education staff had a lot of questions and although they did
> not agree to all of our requests we were told that the aid would take the
> issue back to Pingree and get back to me with her answers.
> 
> *THE ASKS:*
> 
>   1. Will the Member of Congress support an omnibus appropriations bill to
>   fund the remainder of FY2017?  [*A Continuing Resolution would be flat
>   funding for TRIO and GU, the Omnibus has an increase for both.] *(Collins,
>   King yes. Pingree doesn't think this is possible to get agreement on an
>   Omnibus but would sign if she could agree to the funding contained.
>   Poliquin is not interested in another Continuing Resolution, wants an
>   Omnibus but can not commit to yes).
>   2. Will the Member of Congress reject devastating cuts to "non-defense
>   discretionary programs" including TRIO and Gear Up in FY2018?* [A 10%
>   cut to TRIO and 32% cut to GU resulting in a loss of services to 92,000
>   students.] *(Collins, King, Pingree Yes, Poliquin a likely yes)
>   3. Will the Member of Congress sign the FY 2018 TRIO Appropriations
>   Letter? (Collins, King, Pingree Yes, Poliquin's office will write their
>   own letter and try to match as closely as they can the Collins letter)
>   4. Has the Member of Congress or his/her staff visited a TRIO program
>   within the last year? (Collins, King, Pingree Yes, Poliquin No)
>   5. Would the Member of Congress or his/her staff be willing to visit a
>   TRIO program within the next 6 months? (Yes from all - they need to see
>   more than UB programs folks)
>   6. Would the Member of Congress be willing to join the bipartisan,
>   bicameral Congressional TRIO Caucus? (Collins, King, Pingree are
>   members, Poliquin will consult with Collins)
> 
> Our Thanks to our amazing Alum who were well informed, persuasive and
> laser-focused.  They were the reason we were successful on the hill.
> 
> *WHAT CAN YOU DO?*
> You need to drop off your program fact sheet (if you haven't already) to
> our congressional leadership's local offices.  If you can't get there in
> person please send it and ask them to support TRIO and Gear Up.
> 
> Write/ call/ email Maine's congressional leadership and ask them to support
> our 6 questions.
> 
> Invite members and their local offices to your events.  Please let Laurie
> Davis know when you have a member/staff visiting so she can add that to her
> annual report and her NEOA report.
> 
> Karen Hadley Keim
> Maine Team Leader
> 
> “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit
> there”
> – *Will Rogers*