Doggett: Welcome back Riverbats

It is my pleasure to welcome new and returning students for another ACC semester and another step in your journey to "get there," as the ACC motto says. You are lucky to be attending once of the best community colleges in the country and living in one of the finest cities anywhere. I want you to know that in Washington, I am working to ensure we continue to invest in higher education—and I will continue to speak out against any budget—federal or otherwise—that balances its budget on the backs of our students.

Investing in Higher Education is Investing in Our Competitiveness. Cutting the amount of students who would be eligible for student financial aid almost in half, closing community colleges, eliminating the funds that Texas devotes to training Teach for America recruits, and cutting State support for university research that makes the next generation of American discoveries possible is not only shortsighted—it is dangerous to our economic well being. We are in competition with the Germans, the Chinese, and the rest of the world. How can we compete and have a qualified workforce with decade-old science textbooks, eliminating AP courses, closing neighborhood schools and laying off hundreds of school personnel? With increased global competition we should be strengthening our commitment—from pre-K to post-grad—ensuring we have the world's most able workforce.

My 'More Education' Tax Cut. As college costs rise, access to student aid becomes even more critical to a student's ability to pursue higher education. Though much work remains to be done to increase accessibility and affordability of higher education in our community, we had made strides in the right direction over the last two years. With my support, Congress simplified our nation's student loan system and made one of the largest investments in college aid in our history. Especially with the economy still fragile, we cannot afford to decrease our investment in education.

In the State of the Union, the President called on Congress to make permanent the "More Education" tax cut, also known as the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which I authored to help those seeking higher education. Again this year with this tax cut, most ACC students or their families are eligible

for a credit of up to $2,500 for what they have spent on tuition and instructional materials. I appreciated the President's call out regarding my work on this during his speech at UT's Gregory Gym last August. Hopefully, Republicans will work with us to make this tax cut permanent so that students at ACC and elsewhere are able to achieve their God-given potential through education.

Let Me Know How I Can Help. Please know that I am here to work constructively on matters of importance to the ACC community. From tax relief for teaching assistants to improving student financial assistance, I serve as an advocate for the concerns of students, faculty and staff. Both my district office in Austin

and my congressional office in Washington provide year- round internship opportunities for students who have an interest in government and want to learn about the inner workings of a congressional office. Internships should be coordinated through the office in which you wish to work.

Regardless of your career plans, government affects you. I hope that as a student, you will choose to get involved with government and public service in your community. There are a wide range of community service opportunities and philosophically diverse political organizations, both on campus and in the community, with which you can get involved.

I hope you will also take a moment to visit my website at doggett.house.gov, ‘like' me on Facebook by visiting facebook.com/LloydDoggett or ‘following' me on Twitter: @RepLloydDoggett. My Austin office can be reached at (512) 916-5921 and my Washington office phone number is (202) 225-4865. My staff in both cities is ready to assist you. Additionally, I hold Neighborhood Office Hours several times a year at locations throughout the district. I encourage you to attend one of these events so that I can meet you personally.

Have a safe, productive and memorable year here at ACC!

Contact Mr. Doggett:

Office of U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett 201 Cannon House

Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515

202.225-4865 512.916-5921

doggett.house.gov @RepLloydDoggett