The first issue Gov. Tina Kotek highlighted Monday with reporters was her hope that Congress would ensure people aren’t hurt by the proposed budget cuts in the federal government.

Those dollars are about keeping Oregonians healthy and safe, she said. She singled out the U.S. Department of Education cancelling $1 billion in mental health grants. Congress authorized the spending after the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 19 children and two teachers. Democrats and Republicans in Congress may not agree on many gun control issues. But members of Congress did support trying to reduce gun violence by improving access to mental health care for students with this program.

Kotek said Oregon had $29.6 million coming into the state over the next five years through the canceled program.

“That will have a direct impact on the ability of students to get help when they need it,” she told reporters. “I think it is just an ongoing pattern of pulling back on dollars that are having good policy impacts.”

Scott Maben, director of communications at Bend-La Pine Schools, said the staff at the district was aware of one considerable impact to a federal grant. It is aimed at boosting the numbers of “qualified school counselors in high-needs, rural K-12 schools. The program is managed by OSU-Cascades master of counseling program and High Desert ESD. It provides financial support for participating graduate students (19 currently) and places them as interns in five schools districts: Bend-La Pine, Redmond, Sisters, Crook County and Jefferson County.”

Students get additional resources. Graduate students can get up to full tuition funding in addition to practical experience helping students.

Somehow Oregon is going to be better off without that?