Political Quotes

“if we want to maintain our edge in the global economy, we should fully fund the President's competitiveness agenda proposed in his 2007 budget. Regrettably, however, the promise of a more competitive American workforce is simultaneously undermined by his other budget proposals to freeze Pell grants for the fifth year in a row and recall the Federal portion of the Perkins loan revolving fund. This hypocrisy builds on the Republican record on student aid: $12 billion in cuts to loan programs; failure to extend the tuition deduction; and a 3- year-long impasse over renewing the Higher Education Act. Madam Speaker, calling for deep cuts in access to higher education while advocating a competitive workforce is a fundamentally incompatible strategy. Where Congress dropped the ball, colleges are taking the lead in providing tuition assistance to disadvantaged students through matching grants and need-based discounts. We should be encouraging more universities to follow suit, instead of discouraging colleges and aspiring students through misguided cutbacks. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to keep this in mind as we take up the budget resolution in the weeks ahead. ____________________”