Owens counters Omar on higher ed costs, attributes crisis to 16 years of government control
The clip is from a House Education & Workforce Committee hearing on higher education costs. Rep. Ilhan Omar criticized the 2025 Republican 'One Big Beautiful Bill' (also called working families bill) for cutting ~$1 trillion from Medicaid and over $180 billion from SNAP, arguing it harms working families and contradicts claims of making college more accessible. Rep. Burgess Owens agreed problems like exploding tuition, high dropout rates, and unpayable debt are severe but blamed 16 years of government control since the 2010 ACA, not recent reforms. He advocated capitalism (competition, merit, ROI), entrepreneurship, trades as alternatives to four-year degrees, and market accountability for colleges. The YouTube narration from 'Critical Thinking' praises Owens for challenging government-centric views with facts on incentives and outcomes. Sourcing relies on hearing statements; no independent data graphics shown. Owens referenced his recent Latin America trip and Utah's small business success.
Source: Critical Thinking