Tom Harkin: “I reply to my friend from Illinois, as I traveled around my State since we adjourned back in December, I have not heard…”

“I reply to my friend from Illinois, as I traveled around my State since we adjourned back in December, I have not heard anything about making this tax cut permanent. I cannot think of one person who came up to me saying that. But I will tell you what I did hear a lot about. As the Senator pointed out, I heard from my schools on No Child Left Behind, that they are being underfunded. Special education is taking its toll on property taxpayers all over our State, and they are demanding the Federal Government live up to its promise on special education. I am hearing about the loss of manufacturing jobs in our State. And there are no jobs to be had. I am hearing about the need for better health care for people who do not have health insurance in our State. I am hearing about the high cost of education. So many middle-class families now, and low-income families, are simply being priced out of higher education. It is taking more and more money to get into college. Right now, a Pell grant provides for about--under this budget--30 percent, give or take 1 percent--maybe 31 percent--of the cost of college. Just 4 years ago, it was 40 percent. So we have lost 25 percent of the purchasing power just of a Pell grant. And these are for poor kids to go to college. Twenty-five percent, just in 4 years, has been eroded. Yet this budget keeps Pell grants right where they have been--with not one penny of an increase.”