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*
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