Lawmaker Proposes Bill That Could Defund Post-Election Student Coping Sessions
Leah Jessen /
“Suck it up, buttercup,” an Iowa lawmaker tells college students upset over President-elect Donald Trump’s win.
“I’m trying to prepare kids for the fact that life is going to hand you lemons,” Iowa state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, told The Daily Signal. “And every time it does, if you don’t get your way, you don’t get to go into a cry room.”
“I’m trying to prepare kids for the fact that life is going to hand you lemons.”
—@BKaufmannIA
After Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, professors canceled college classes and students held a cry-in, used coloring books, and played with Play-Doh, among other reactions from universities around the country.
“I don’t think that universities are doing their job … of preparing people for adult life,” Kaufmann said. He added:
Because when your car breaks down, when your kids get sick, when you get a first bad job review, you don’t get to go to a cry room, you don’t get to go play with Play-Doh or color books. You have to be an adult. That was the inspiration for the name ‘Suck it up, buttercup.’
Kaufmann expects to introduce the “Suck it up, buttercup” bill in January. The bill would clarify rules on state tax dollars funding “cry zones,” election-related sit-ins, and grief counseling set up at public universities.
“As I saw other universities using taxpayer money on Play-Doh and coloring rooms for people who couldn’t handle the election results, I had a significant number of my constituents reaching out saying, ‘Hey, make sure my tax dollars aren’t being used for that,’” Kaufmann said.
The three state universities in Iowa have not used extra money on post-election coping sessions, The Des Moines Register reported.
“I made it crystal clear to people that I have no problem with guidance counseling. I have no problem with these services that were already set up,” Kaufmann said. “What I had an issue with is any possible new dollars that were going to be contributed towards this cause while the tuition continues to skyrocket.”
In Iowa, protesters blocked and briefly closed Interstate 80 last week.
“This time nothing happened, but they promised to do it again and heaven forbid somebody is headed to the hospital or someone could possibly get hurt or die from this,” Kaufmann said.
Kaufmann said his bill will increase penalties for people who block interstates.
“I think people have been frustrated a lot with the post-election protests,” the Iowa lawmaker said, adding:
I believe in your right to protest. I believe in your right to defend. But when you see people looting, rioting, throwing bricks through windows, stomping on police cars, blocking interstates, all because of a fair election … You know the caveat for me here is you got President [Barack] Obama coming out and saying, ‘Hey guys, we lost this time. Let’s move on.’ And when your top guy is saying that and you’re still out there blocking interstates and throwing bricks through windows, that to me is hysteria that is making a lot of people mad.
Kaufmann says he has a problem with protesters putting the lives of his constituents in danger and wasting people’s tax dollars. He believes this message has “struck a nerve with people.”
“Surprisingly enough, I’ve gotten a significant amount of support from people from almost every state across the country that say that they want to see my finished product, they can see this become more of a national movement than just Iowa movement,” Kaufmann said.