Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) followed up on earlier comments praising Hungarian President Viktor Orban for the regulatory crackdown on the country’s universities on Sunday, saying the U.S. should adopt a similar mindset.
Orban, as part of undemocratic reforms that included changes to the country’s judicial system and constitution, changed the way higher education is regulated in recent years, giving the government more control over what is taught.
“What we see in the United States, in fact, is that universities are controlled by left-wing foundations. They are not controlled by the American taxpayer,” Vance said in an interview on CBS “Face the Nation” with Margaret Brennan on Sunday.
Brennan pressed Vance for his support, asking him directly whether he wants the federal government to have direct control over education, like in Hungary.
“What I advocate is that taxpayers have a say in how their money is spent. Universities are part of a social contract in this country,” Vance said. “They educate our children. They produce important intellectual property. They make a lot of money because of it.”
“But if they’re not educating our children well and they’re saddling the next generation with mountains of student debt, then they’re not holding up their end of the bargain,” he continued. “I think it’s completely reasonable to say that a political solution to this problem is needed.”
The senator also distanced himself from some of Orbán’s anti-democratic reforms. The Hungarian leader is a rising star in American conservative politics, a frequent guest at the Conservative Political Action Conference and an ally of former President Trump.
“Well, look. I’m not endorsing everything Viktor Orbán has done. I don’t know everything he’s ever done,” Vance said. “What I think about is the university, the principle of the university, the idea that taxpayers should have some influence on how their money is spent at these universities. It’s a totally reasonable thing. And I think he made some smart decisions that we could learn from in the United States.”
Vance, considered a finalist as Trump’s potential running mate, has raised his profile in recent months. Last week, he walked back previous criticism of the former president and became one of his closest allies in the Senate.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
