Two of St. Lawrence County’s Republican Assemblymen say they are outraged by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to tie the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act to funding for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

The DREAM Act would provide college funds to children of undocumented immigrants. TAP provides student aid to college students in New York state.

Assemblyman Marc W. Butler of Newport says he “is disgusted by the governor’s efforts to tie passage of the controversial DREAM Act to funding for TAP.” In a prepared statement, he goes on to call it “a troubling and politically-charged move.”

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush of Black River says he “is calling on the governor to rethink his efforts to strong-arm the legislature into passing an item of controversial policy know as the DREAM Act.”

“The governor is developing an upsetting pattern of strong-arming the legislature over controversial measures he wishes to pass – first it was his misguided SAFE Act and now he’s tying passage of the DREAM Act to TAP funding,” Butler said. “This is not the time to withhold important aid from state residents, and it is disturbing that the governor would even attempt such a move.”

“Higher education for New York students is becoming increasingly more expensive and unattainable for some, and the fact that the governor is holding TAP funds hostage is alarming and disheartening,” Blankenbush said. “The budget isn’t the place to have these highly-charged political discussions at the cost of the 400,000 college students in need of our support.”

Both assemblymen said in prepared statements that college costs have risen by more than 47 percent over the last 10 years, according to the College Board. Each New York college student, upon graduation, is in debt to the tune of about $26,000, the assemblymen said.

In 2014, nearly $940 million worth of TAP funds were distributed to New York residents, as reported by the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). Since its inception in 1974, over five million college students in the state have been helped, according to Butler and Blankenbush.

Butler represents the 118th Assembly District. It covers much of southern St. Lawrence County, starting in Madrid and Norfolk and going south into Clifton and Fine. It extends into Hamilton, Herkimer and Fulton counties, along with part of Oneida County.

Blankenbush’s 117th Assembly District covers most of southwest St. Lawrence County. It includes DeKalb, Gouverneur and Russell. It extends south into Lewis County, southeast Jefferson County and parts of Oneida County.