Arlen Specter: “I agree with everything Senator Kennedy has said about the importance of increasing Pell grants. But the difficulty is…”

“I agree with everything Senator Kennedy has said about the importance of increasing Pell grants. But the difficulty is, in adding this appropriated fund, in his effort to add additional money, there is no offset. We have a budget of $145 billion. We have made the allocations as best we can. Since I took over the chairmanship of the Appropriations subcommittee, in 1995 we have increased the Pell grants on an annual basis from $2,340 to $4,050. I would like to increase them more, but there simply is not enough money to do so. If the Senator from Massachusetts has a suggestion as to some other priority which is of lesser importance, I would be glad to listen. This is a carefully crafted bill. Much as I would like to increase the Pell grants, there simply are not the funds to do so. I am constrained to ask my colleagues to support the point of order. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The yeas and nays have been ordered.”