PETER J. ROSKAM, canine reassess te ree Congress of the United States ae. “sia ovat of Representatives aon Washington, BE 20515-1305 April 12,2016 Speaker Michael J. Madigan 300 Capito! Building Springfield, IL 62706 President John J. Cullerton 327 Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706 Dear Speaker Madigan and President Culleeton: | am writing with respect 1o the ongong state budget crisis facing public universities, community colleges, and social services in Mlinois. To date, the govemor and Republican eaders have rightly rejected billion dollar spending bills that promised to spend money the state didn't have, Low-income college students eannot use [OUs to fund their MAP scholarships. Forcing the state deeper into debt does not fee up resources for our social safety net. Universities planning layoffs and shutdowns do not have time to wait on a month-long bill backlog. ‘We need real solutions to our state's prcblems ~ bipartisan solutions both Democrats and Republicans inthe legislature can support and the govemor can sign into law. Now isnot the time for partisanship or game-playing — now is the time for stetesmanship, Governor Rauner and Republican leaders have offered a number of compromise solutions to solve the Fiscal Year 2016 state budget crisis: ) funding higher education with savings achieved through procurement reform, selling tne Thompson Center, use of excess special funds and reallocation of other State spending: and 2) funding social services with savings achieved through pension reform. Additionally, both the governor and Republican leaders have agreed to support Democrat-sponsered legislation to provide emergency assistarce to public universities and community colleges. Yet none of the ideas that could win bipartisan support are being called for a vote. Rather than attempting another round of empty-promise spending bills, I strongly urge you to work across party lines to enact bipartisan plen that responsibly funds higher education and socal services, A TER J. ROSKAM Member of Congress