[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 132 (Thursday, September 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           STUDENT AID AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. JOHN M. SPRATT, JR.

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 16, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3221) to 
     amend the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for others 
     purposes:

  Mr. SPRATT. Madam Chair, I rise in support of the Student Aid and 
Fiscal Responsibility Act. In one fell swoop, this legislation helps 
millions of students afford to go to college, and it reduces the 
deficit by making the student loan program more efficient. Rarely are 
we given the chance to help students, improve government services, and 
reduce the deficit all at the same time; today we should embrace that 
opportunity.
  By making the student loan program more efficient, the bill reinvests 
some of those savings into increasing the maximum Pell Grant award next 
year and in the future, benefitting the six million low-income students 
who rely on Pell Grants to help pay for college. The legislation 
provides for the maximum Pell grant to increase from $5,550 in 2010 to 
$6,900 in 2019. The bill also revamps the Perkins loan program, 
expanding it to every college in the country--currently, fewer than 
500,000 students receive Perkins Loans. The bill also simplifies the 
process for applying for federal student financial aid, and offers new 
services to help students both attend and complete college.
  In addition to making college more accessible, this bill also invests 
in education for pre-school and school-aged children. It expands and 
improves early learning systems through competitive grants for states 
to offer high-quality services for children age zero to five, and will 
support more and better training for early childhood educators. The 
bill also provides funding to help modernize and repair schools--
elementary and secondary schools as well as community colleges across 
the country. The funding is targeted for projects that are energy 
efficient and that create healthier and safer learning environments for 
our children.
  To help strengthen our economy, the Congressional budget resolution 
that we passed earlier this year called for significant investments in 
education--including in Pell Grants--within a framework of fiscal 
responsibility. Today we have before us a bill that fulfills the 
challenge. It makes the student loan program run more efficiently, and 
thus reduces the deficit, while making dramatic improvements in our 
education system that will help students of all ages. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

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