Virginia Foxx: “I thank both of my colleagues from North Carolina for their leadership on doing their best to help HBCUs. However, Mr.…”

“I thank both of my colleagues from North Carolina for their leadership on doing their best to help HBCUs. However, Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2486, the FUTURE Act. Under the guise of a manufactured deadline, House Democrats are rushing through a bill that will negatively impact student borrowers across the country. I want to make one thing clear: In no way does my criticism of the underlying bill diminish my support for America's HBCUs and MSIs and the important role these institutions of higher learning play in our country. My issue is with this bill and the process by which it is before us. We have a responsibility to diligently and responsibly allocate taxpayer dollars. Too many in this body find it way too easy to spend hard-earned taxpayer dollars without promising accountability. That is an insult to every citizen who has entrusted us with their representation. Yet, the Democrats' bill before us uses budget gimmicks to skirt House protocols. This flawed bill also eliminates account maintenance fees, programs that serve low-income minority students through financial aid awareness and borrower assistance services. In addition to funding and policy issues, the bill has serious process issues. Our colleagues have skipped the markup process and brought it straight to the floor. This unnecessary move to push forward a bill without the deliberation of the committee is a disservice to America's students.…”