Political Quotes

“If I might follow up, didn't we ask the GAO to do a study, or the Department of Defense to do a study about GI bill benefits and how much we were actually spending through the GI bill for education through the for-profit schools compared to the public schools, community colleges, colleges and universities? We asked for that number, and we ended up learning these for-profit schools were charging GIs and veterans three times the amount being charged for those who went through other traditional schools, public schools, and universities. It strikes me we have a legitimate concern. I know the Senator from Iowa and myself have been dutifully and loyally voting for Federal aid to education. I don't know his story. My story is, I am standing here today because of a National Defense Education Act government loan that let me finish college and law school; the Senator from Iowa the same thing. I have thought, goodness' sakes, if that is how I reached this point in my life, other people deserve the same chance. I have been almost an automatic vote when it comes to that kind of assistance. I thank the Senator from Iowa. Now that he has had these hearings and I have joined him in investigating it, I find that a growing percentage of Federal aid to education is going to for-profit schools that operate with 90 percent Federal tax dollars and don't end up providing the kind of education these young men and women need to succeed, and many of them end up defaulting on their student loans.”