On the recordMarch 26, 2015
Mr. President, we just voice-voted an amendment to let students use summer Pell grants, but the fact is this budget cuts Pell grants. In Minnesota alone, more than 160,000 students were able to go to college thanks in part to Pell grants, and the same holds for millions around the country. When my wife Franni and I were in college, a full Pell grant paid for about 80 percent of a public college education. Today it pays for less than 35 percent. Yet this budget would cut this program and make it harder for students to pay for college. My colleagues want to cut it further. We should not be doing that. That is why I offer this amendment to restore funding for Pell grants. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
