Nita Lowey: “yes, in the words of the gentleman from California [Mr. Cunningham], there really is a difference in philosophy, and…”

“yes, in the words of the gentleman from California [Mr. Cunningham], there really is a difference in philosophy, and nothing has made it clearer than the debate we have seen over this amendment, and in fact through the entire bill. We have heard people say ``Cut the bureaucrats.'' Mr. Chairman, we are cutting kids; we are not cutting bureaucrats. These are loans to middle-income kids, families who are striving, who are working hard to find the American dream. We are not cutting bureaucrats. Let us tell it to Denise, let us tell it to Sebastian in my district, let us tell it to the million or more youngsters who are not getting a student loan as a result of our actions today. And the best is yet to come, because we have seen promises in the budget, in the reconciliation bill of the leadership, that would cut even more deeply into student loan programs. We are talking about the American dream. We are talking about investing in our youngsters. We are talking about giving youngsters the opportunity to get that education, to work hard, so they can be something. Government should not be a handout, government should be a hand up. I cannot think of any program that fulfills that philosophy. Oh, yes, the distinguished chairman of the committee said that we have the gall, the audacity, to fight for these programs. Yes, we have the gall, yes, we have the audacity, to stand up for working families, to stand up for their children, to stand up for the future of our country.”