[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 3 (Thursday, January 8, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H75]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF THE LATE SENATOR CLAIBORNE PELL

  (Mr. BISHOP of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the 
life of the late Senator Claiborne Pell, who passed away last week 
after an inspiring career as a Senator from Rhode Island and as a 
strong advocate for higher education. Most famously, Senator Pell 
authored legislation in 1972 that created the higher education grant 
program that bears his name and that has allowed millions of low- and 
middle-income students to attend college.
  Senator Pell was known as a modest man, and he often shied away from 
the attention he received for creating the Pell Grant program, 
originally entitled the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, and that 
was modeled after the GI bill. Senator Pell believed that the fastest 
way for Americans to prosper was through education and that making 
education accessible was essential.
  While grant awards under Senator Pell's program have risen since it 
was first enacted, they have not kept pace with the rising cost of 
attending college. Despite the efforts of the 110th Congress through 
the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to raise the Pell Grant 
maximum to $6,000 per year, many families are still burdened by the 
rising costs of higher education.
  In the 111th Congress, I hope we continue Senator Pell's goal of 
educating our youth by working to ensure adequate funding for all forms 
of student financial aid such as the Perkins loan program and SEOG. 
Funding for these programs will help to ensure that higher education is 
affordable and accessible to all students regardless of one's income or 
background.

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