[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 34 (Thursday, March 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN SUPPORT OF AN INCREASE IN THE FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, we are a rich and powerful Nation 
in the midst of strong economic growth. As we approach the 21st 
century, we must ask ourselves, what is our next greatest challenge? 
How will we target our investments to become stronger as a Nation and 
as a people?
  I have always said, and I will continue to say, Mr. Speaker, that 
there is no greater challenge and nothing that is more important than 
the education of our next generation. We do not have a person to waste. 
Every student in this Nation who wants to go to college, no matter how 
rich or poor, should have the opportunity to go. Education is a great 
equalizer. A good education can shine the light of hope and opportunity 
in every corner of our Nation, no matter how poor, how hopeless, or how 
downtrodden.
  For nearly 30 years Pell Grants have been the key that have unlocked 
the American dream. For millions of American students who had the 
talent, had the desire, but lacked the funds, the Pell Grant made the 
difference between college and a dead end job.
  In the last decade, the cost for college has increased at rates of 5 
to 8 percent, outpacing inflation and putting a college education 
further out of reach for those who can least afford it. Until recently, 
the size of the maximum Pell Grant stayed the same.
  Two years ago, many of my colleagues and I, along with the President, 
fought for and won the largest increase in the Pell Grant in 20 years. 
That brought the maximum Pell Grant up from $2,700 to $3,000.
  Mr. Speaker, we can even do better. Today's Pell Grant provides only 
35 percent of the average cost of a 4-year State college. Too few 
families today can afford to write a check for $10,000 to cover tuition 
for State schools, and for so many families, private education is out 
of the question.
  Mr. Speaker, I remember growing up in rural Alabama in the forties 
and fifties. My family could never have afforded the college tuition at 
Harvard, Yale, or even the University of Georgia. For so many of us, 
college was a distant dream, a pipe dream. Without the help of 
financial aid or work study, we could never have afforded to go to 
college.
  We have come a long way in opening the doors of college for all 
Americans, but we can do better. We can do more. For this reason, I am 
joining my colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) 
and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) in sponsoring legislation 
that will raise the maximum authorized Pell Grant to a level that 
reflects the rising cost of college.
  I ask all of my colleagues to join me and my colleagues, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) and the gentleman from 
Vermont (Mr. Sanders), in making education a priority, and to ensure 
that in the days of economic prosperity, no one but no one is left out 
or left behind.

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