Jon S. Corzine: “first I wanted to speak on Senator Harkin's amendment with regard to protecting overtime pay for hard-working Americans.…”

“first I wanted to speak on Senator Harkin's amendment with regard to protecting overtime pay for hard-working Americans. I also want to second the efforts Senator Kennedy is making. Both Senators Harkin and Kennedy are giants with regard to protecting hard-working Americans who are under incredible stress in our economy today. I heard Senator Kennedy talk about the people with $15,000 annual incomes who benefit from Pell grants. Tuitions are going up 15, 20 percent across the board. They are 9 percent in New Jersey, so I guess we are doing well at Rutgers. We are not increasing our financial aid at all. The Senator also knows that back in the drawing rooms of the Education Department they are changing the regulations that are reducing the amount of grants and availability of funding for both grants and financial aid for middle-class Americans. It is unbelievable what we are doing to and the pressure we are putting on the American people, the hard-working people who drive this economy. I compliment the Senator on his efforts in raising this issue on higher education. I think what singles out more than almost anything I have heard debated is trying to take away overtime pay for the American people. I am just one individual who believes that the best way to grow our economy is to have rising tides lift all boats, making sure everybody participates in the excellence and the wealth of America.”