Washington ? More than 40 higher-education leaders from across the country asked Congress today to commit 5 percent of any economic stimulus program to the nation’s colleges and universities.

The educators, including University of Virginia President John Casteen III and Chancellor William E. Kirwan of the University System of Maryland, published an open letter in newspapers warning that state budget cuts have harmed the public educational enterprise that is at the heart of the nation’s long-term security.

The open letter is likely to be well-received in the House, where the Appropriations Committee is taking a leading role in writing the legislation. Its chairman, Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wis., has long advocated increased resources for higher education.