Political Quotes

“I am reserving the right to object. The Senator from Alabama is a valued member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Ensuring that historically Black colleges and universities have continued funding is something we all want to do. However, instead of the short-term patch, I favor a long- term solution. I am ready to do this, along with a few other bipartisan higher education proposals that also have bipartisan support. Such a package could include permanent mandatory funding of $255 million for historically Black colleges and universities and reduction of the number of questions on the FAFSA that 20 million families fill out every year for their Federal aid, as Senators Bennet and Jones have proposed. I would like to see the Senate pass again the legislation Senator Murray and I persuaded the Senate to pass that reduces the current FAFSA to 22 questions. Senators Schatz, Lee, and Durbin have proposed Pell grants for prisoners. There is a proposal by Senators Portman and Kaine and many other bipartisan Senators on short-term Pell grants for job training. We could expand Pell grant eligibility. We could increase the maximum Pell grant award. These are all things we should be able to agree on, including funding for historically Black colleges and universities. I have been talking with Senator Murray now for several years about reauthorizing the Higher Education Act.…”