[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 59 (Thursday, March 30, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H3981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       STAND UP FOR STUDENT LOANS

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks and include 
extraneous material.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker, in my hand I hold up the Constitution 
of the United States and it is amazing that this document still today 
embodies the concerns of Americans about equality and opportunity for 
it simply says we the people have joined together to do several things, 
among them, to promote the general welfare, and to provide blessings of 
liberty and posterity on ourselves.
  But yet we find ourselves with the Gingrich Republicans trying to cut 
every single Federal aid program for college loans and college 
opportunities for our young people. In fact, in the State of Texas we 
will lose, our students in the colleges in the State of Texas alone 
will lose, almost $700 million in student loans, the Stafford loans, 
work study programs, supplemental educational opportunity grants, and 
the Perkins loans.
  I am a product of student loans, an opportunity given to someone who 
simply tried to stand up and pull herself up by her bootstraps.
  I say to the young people of America hold on to the Constitution, for 
we want you to be educated, and Democrats will be fighting to provide 
for college loans for those of you who are seeking simply an 
opportunity.
  Let us go against the Gingrich Republicans. Let us survive and stand 
together to make sure that you, America's college students have an 
opportunity to learn. Let us not vote for the tax cuts that take away 
student loans and opportunities.
  We want our children to be at the forefront of this world economy and 
to be the leaders of the forward-thinking world. Let us support the 
students of America, and you, please stand with us.

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