[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 12, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H2036-H2037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentleman from Puerto Rico [Mr. Romero-Barcelo] is 
recognized during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, the proposed 1996 spending package 
for education is unacceptable. Once again, the country's children and 
youth will be made to pay.
  Under the current budget, education programs have been forced to 
operate at greatly reduced funding levels, to the detriment of students 
in school districts all across the country.
  The appropriation bill provides for additional funds for certain 
programs but does so only on a contingency basis. And what is the 
contingency? Agreement to cut vital entitlement programs. In the name 
of balancing the budget, children are being pitted against each other. 
Now, we have seen everything.
  Once again, college and college-bound students may lose an 
opportunity to pursue higher education.
  How many talented, intelligent, young men and women will be deprived 
of the opportunity of a higher education?
  Many students who are qualified and prepared to enter college, will 
simply not be able to go. Low- and middle-income families who have 
worked hard, saved their earnings for many years, will find it more 
difficult--if not impossible--to pursue higher education.
  It is an uncontroverted fact that American voters strongly support 
Federal aid to college students. Americans believe that by providing 
financial aid for people who want to go to college, the Federal 
Government is investing in America's future.
  Despite, this fact, the latest House version of the bill would cut 
$756 million for Pell Grants, eliminate funding for capital 
contributions for Perkins Loans, and eliminate funding for the Student 
Incentive Grant Program, which provides invaluable support to low-
income college students.
  Thousands of students in Puerto Rico and all over the country will be 
affected.
  While Congress is slashing the education budget here in Washington, 
elsewhere legislators are recognizing the importance of supporting 
higher education, and regretting that they ever tried to balance their 
budgets at the expense of higher education. In Virginia, legislators 
reached an agreement on the Virginia budget this weekend in which 
higher education will get $400 million more over the next 2 years. The 
numbers in that budget tell that the No. 1 priority is education.
  In Puerto Rico, as well, the State government is honoring its 
commitment to education. But Puerto Rico's

[[Page H2037]]

goals for education cannot be accomplished without Federal assistance 
in student loans.
  I urge my colleagues in Congress to consider carefully the 
legislation before them and to consider the severe impact education 
cuts will have on working families and their ability to access higher 
education for themselves and their children.
  Funding to vital education programs must be restored. Mr. Speaker, 
the only contingency we should be talking about when it comes to 
education, is that if we provide our schoolchildren with the tools they 
need and deserve, and support higher education, Americans will win.

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