Book excerpt: The U.S. is facing a historic fiscal crisis. After years of neglect and mismanagement, the national debt has exceeded $14 trillion and continues to climb at a rapid pace. Despite this year's projected budget deficit of $1.6 trillion, the administration has put forward a plan for the next decade that includes $8.7 trillion in new spending, $1.5 trillion in new taxes, and $13 trillion in new debt. Proposing a budget that once again spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much is not the kind of leadership that America deserves. This paper presents the Committee on Education and the Workforce's hearing on budget and policy proposals of the US Department of Education. Members testifying before the committee were: Honorable Virginia Foxx, a Representative in Congress from the State of North Carolina; Honorable Richard L. Hanna, a Representative in Congress from the State of New York; Honorable John Kline, Chairman, Committee on Education and the Workforce; Honorable Carolyn McCarthy, a Representative in Congress from the State of New York; Honorable George Miller, senior Democratic member, Committee on Education and the Workforce; Honorable Kristi L. Noem, a Representative in Congress from the State of South Dakota; Honorable Donald M. Payne, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey; Honorable Edolphus Towns, a Representative in Congress from the State of New York; Honorable Thomas E. Petri, a Representative in Congress from the State of Wisconsin; Honorable Todd Rokita, a Representative in Congress from the State of Indiana; and Honorable Robert C. Scott, a Representative in Congress from the State of Virginia. Honorable Arne Duncan, Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, stood as a witness before the committee.