"Public education is not a private commodity, it is a public good."
"Despite the rising cost of college and increasing burden of student debt, the budget seeks to slash over $200 billion over 10 years from student loan assistance."
"All of these students deserve an equitable, high-quality public education. That's their right, and it's the responsibility of the Department of Education as well as Congress in partnering with States ..."
"Unfortunately, under the President's Fiscal Year budget, it would be nearly impossible to meet that challenge."
"They deserve to know why the Department is not acting in the best interest of faithfully executing the law..."
"If we only tinker around the edges and do not make comprehensive steps to addressing access and affordability, we will fail to serve the students, parents, and communities we were elected to serve."
"Our education must be an engine of economic mobility for all students, not an instrument for preserving the elite status of wealthy families."
"This hearing is now called to order. This morning, we are here to discuss how chronic underfunding of public education is affecting students, parents, teachers, and communities."
"In a time of extreme polarization, support for public education is a rare bridge across our political and cultural divisions."
"The widespread support for public education makes our longstanding tradition of failing to prioritize public education both confounding and frustrating."
"After 10 years with no increase in the Federal minimum wage, minimum wage workers have suffered a 17 percent pay cut due to inflation."