[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 11 (Friday, January 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E158]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   COLLEGE STUDENT RELIEF ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 17, 2007

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I oppose H.R. 5 as it is 
written and support the alternative proposal by Ranking Member Buck 
McKeon. As the father of three college graduates and a college 
freshman, I am all too familiar with the financial burden higher 
education poses to families and students. That is why I am proud of 
Republican efforts to expand college access and increase affordability.
  During the past decade, House Republicans under the leadership of 
John Boehner and Buck McKeon tripled overall Federal aid to a record 
$90 billion, helping millions of Americans achieve their dream of a 
college education.
  In addition, Republicans increased new aid for Pell students more 
than $4 billion over 5 years, establishing the first ever grant program 
for high achieving Pell students in their first and second years of 
college. The program also provides grant aid to low income, high 
achieving students pursuing degrees in math, science, and critical 
foreign languages in their third and fourth years.
  As lawmakers, our number one concern with regard to higher education 
should be to ensure that college is affordable for any student. 
Unfortunately, as H.R. 5 is currently written, it pits the Federal 
Family Education Loan Program, FFEL, against the Direct Loan program, 
DLP, and by doing so creates an imbalance in the student loan industry 
that is so lopsided only the largest FFELP lenders will survive.
  While the Democrat bill was well-intentioned, its focus on interest 
rate reduction does not expand college access for new students which 
the McKeon alternative does. That is why I urge my colleagues to vote 
in favor of it, because it truly expands college access for young 
Americans.
  I encourage Congress to help foster an environment that will build a 
student loan marketplace and not play politics with college educations.

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