Political Quotes

“this week the Democratic Congress makes college more affordable for American students and families by sending the College Cost Reduction and Access Act to the President. After initially threatening a veto, President Bush now says he will sign the bill into law. That's good news for millions of students and their families who are trying to figure out how they're going to afford a college education. Under President Bush, college tuition has increased 40 percent over inflation, putting college out of reach for many. While college costs have increased over the last 7 years, Pell Grants and other Federal aid have remained flat, which has created an imbalance in the grant-to-loan ratio that students face. For some who are fortunate enough to attend college, they are leaving with more than $20,000 in loan debt. Our legislation begins to remedy that imbalance by providing the largest investment in college funding since passage of the GI Bill in 1944. Under our legislation, we increase Pell Grant scholarships by more than $1,000, and we cut student interest rates in half. Mr. Speaker, Democrats promise to make college more affordable this week, and we are living up to that promise.”