Political Quotes

“why would we hold hostage bipartisan legislation that would simplify the FAFSA from 108 questions to 18 to 30--the Federal aid that 20 million families fill out every year in this country--unnecessarily? Why are we holding that hostage? Why are we holding hostage the legislation introduced by Senator Portman and Senator Kaine and cosponsored by Cardin, Gillibrand, Hassan, Klobuchar, Stabenow, Baldwin, Brown--these are all Democrats--here is a Republican, Capito, Coons, Ernst, Jones, Moran, Shaheen, Sinema, Smith, Wicker, and Braun. This is legislation we all agree on--or at least that many agree on-- on short-term Pell grants. Then we have Senators Grassley, Smith, Cassidy, Ernst, Hassan, Jones, Klobuchar, Manchin, and Rubio, who would like to simplify the Federal aid letters so you don't get a letter in the mail, if you are living in Maryland or Tennessee, and think you have a grant you don't have to pay back, when in fact it is a loan you do have to pay back. We also agree on increasing the maximum Pell grant. We also agree on how to pay for it. We also agree on permanent funding for the historically Black colleges and institutions in a way that the Budget Committee can easily approve, and it can pass the Senate. If we can agree on all that and it all helps students at historically Black colleges and minority-serving institutions, then why don't we pass it? Why don't we do that?…”