With the long-delayed trimming of the Democrat-socialist $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill of Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a social program to fund free community college is likely a no-go.
"There will be something for higher education, but it probably won't be the free community college," Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the Congressional Progressive Caucus chair, told reporters, The Hill reported.
"Nothing's done yet," she added, but with Biden now having to cut the spending plan almost in half, funding for free community college "probably has got a tough road ahead."
Biden had called for two years of tuition-free community college for Americans, along with first lady Jill Biden, who has made a career in education.
The massive expansion of free higher eduction "didn't necessarily have a full coalition behind it," Jayapal admitted, according to the report.
"The president again reiterated in the meeting that that's really the goal he'd like to work to down the road, but it may not be in this bill."
Sanders' plan would make community college free for families earning up to $125,000 per year, using a tax on some Wall Street trades to cover some of the costs on American taxpayers.
Among the other funding plans that might face cutting in the paring down of the budget are universal pre-K and Medicare expansion, which were to be paid for by raising taxes on wealthy corporations and individuals
Progressives are going to fight for funding for childcare, paid family leave, as well as climate, immigration, housing and healthcare, and Medicare expansions, according to Jayapal.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.