Do you know that, today, 75 percent of the Americans who apply to go into the military are ineligible because of health and academic shortfalls?

This is quite different, Mr. Chairman, than most of the Nation. In a lot of the Nation, 80 percent of the kids who enter kindergarten have not had any early learning experiences.

I think everyone knows that early childhood education is near and dear to my heart.

We know that education is fundamental to expand opportunities to more Americans.

the credit is leaving low-income workers without dependent children behind.

If Sallie Mae violated the law, will you pull the servicing loan contract?

I would not be here today if they had not been available to me.

we now have total student loan debt over $1 trillion, which is more than credit card debt.

Nobody thinks our 2-year budget deal was perfect. It was a compromise.

I think that was a very bad model that we had. I criticized it in the past. I certainly do not want to return to that.

The EITC lifts millions of low-income working families out of poverty each year, but it is currently leaving individuals without children behind.

House Republicans seem to have finally realized that Democrats are not going to pay a ransom to allow the Federal Government to pay its bills.

I would just suggest that the data that is coming in is indicating this is not working so well, and the forecast is for it to get worse. I hope we will get off this path.

The President's education proposal is a strong plan to build on our 2-year budget deal.

As former Florida Governor Jeb Bush says, the sad truth is that equality of opportunity does not exist in many of our schools, and that failure is the great moral and economic issue of our time, and it is hurting all of America.

Divided Government requires that Republicans and Democrats work together.

I invite all of our colleagues--Democrats and Republicans--to join me this year in building on the bipartisan work we have done and investing in our national priorities.

So when colleagues talk about raising the minimum wage or equal pay or giving folks a fair shot...

We should build on that by investing in broad-based economic growth and expanding opportunities for families.

Are we expanding opportunity for all Americans? No matter where you come from, we are all better off if everyone in our society has the opportunity to succeed.

It is long overdue, and it is time for Congress to work on that legislation and strengthen our K-12 schools.

I hope Congress will be able to work together to encourage job creation and growth in a bipartisan way.

I would like us to move forward on a well-crafted package of aid for Ukraine.

the economy is improving. My biggest concern--and I know many, of my colleagues share this--is that it is not improving for everyone.

I have very serious concerns about recent allegations that student loan servicers have been violating the law.