Thread by @HipHopPrez

A THREAD watching the #RNC2020: Twice yesterday HBCUs were mentioned. Vernon Jones suggested the president “delivered historic funding” guaranteed for 10 years, something he said had never been done before. Not true- we just completed 10 years. 1/

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1298078935322746880?s=20

Senator Tim Scott also mentioned HBCUs. He said “Once again, to clean up Joe Biden’s mess, President Trump signed into law historically high funding for HBCUs, as well as a bill to give them permanent funding for the first time ever!” 2/

https://twitter.com/NBCBLK/status/1298110360029986819?s=20

Although misleading, Scott really is a reason this administration can even mention HBCUs. He and Mark Walker in 2017, at the beginning of the Trump administration, hosted a Republican led HBCU fly-in. I spoke with the press sharing my support. 3/
newrepublic.com/article/141026…

But the idea that Trump is the reason for HBCU funding is all wrong, as the data shows his 4 budget proposals cumulatively requested a $1M DECREASE in HBCU funding ($86M if you include not requesting money to continue the 10 year Obama program). 4/
diverseeducation.com/article/155070/

Full disclosure. I am a President Obama fan. We lived in Arkansas when he ran for president and of course most folks were supporting Clinton. But on election night, our son was born. His name? Benjamin Barack Kimbrough. 5/

But I have also acknowledged that for HBCUs, often President Obama was more inspirational than intentional- we hoped for more. But if we look at his budget proposals, his intentions for HBCU funding are better than one might think. 6/
theroot.com/scold-in-chief…

Obama’s first budget was FY10. Using the 4 main HBCU federal programs (Title III B & F, HBCU masters, HBCU grad), he proposed a $22.8M increase. He didn't initially continue the 2 year, $85M year program begun by Bush & was strongly criticized. 7/
thehill.com/homenews/news/…

For the FY11 budget Obama requested $20.6M in February of 2010, and by September added the $85M , 10 year mandatory funding program. This was the 2 year program Bush started. 8/
mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-…

But Congress was fighting, and by September 30, 2010 they did not approve the FY11 budget. This was Obama’s first midterm election and the partisan fighting made it tough to even approve a continuing resolution. 9/
money.cnn.com/2010/09/12/new…

Of course, the Republicans took control of the House and so heading into 2011 they had leverage for the budget. This was the 2011 Debt Ceiling Crisis. This article shares a good explanation. Republicans really tied Obama’s hands. 10/
theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

So while Obama proposed almost $21M in funding for the big 4 HBCU programs, HBCUs lost $31M, including $29M for the largest program, Title III B. 11/
www2.ed.gov/programs/idues…

In his FY12 budget, Obama tried to recoup the $29M for the Title III B program. Congress cut another $9M. 12/

For FY13, his final budget of the 1st term, Obama simply proposed level funding for the 4 programs. Congress cut them again by another $20M as part of the sequestration required by the 2011 Budget Control Act, a cut by about 5.1%. 13/
washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2…

For Trump’s first 4 budgets, his proposals for HBCUs are essentially neutral but eliminated $85M/year HBCUs received previously. This is the program he now celebrates that he provided permanent funding for – the one he proposed to kill. 14/
tmcf.org/events-media/t…

Again. The credit Trump gets for the mandatory funding is for ONE program, due to a bill written by Alma Adams, which received veto proof majority votes. 15/
insidehighered.com/news/2020/01/2…

Summary. In his first 4 years, Obama proposed $73.1M in increases for these 4 main HBCU programs. Trump proposed $1.1M in cuts. During Obama’s first 4 years HBCUs lost $26M. But under Trump? A $104M increase he didn't request. So how did this happen? 16/
uncf.org/news/significa…

Trump killed the Republican fiscal conservatism. While Obama’s spending wishes were reigned in, there have been no constraints since 2017. 17/
washingtonpost.com/business/econo…

Senator Rand Paul’s key line during his filibuster summed it up: 18/

https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/961741327305191425?s=20

Republicans forced Obama into the Budget Control Act. HBCUs lost funding. Trump broke them, & spending increased. HBCU advocates rightfully made sure we got ours! Paul recently suggested Obama is owed an apology for complaints about his spending. 19/
kentucky.com/news/politics-…

I think that sums it up. Rand Paul was right. 20/
cnn.com/2018/02/08/pol…

And HBCU advocates, watching Trump break fiscal conservatives, sprang into action. Remember, Trump did not ask for increases in HBCUs budgets. Our friends on both sides of the aisle looked out for us. 21/21
diverseeducation.com/article/112734/

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