[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 132 (Thursday, September 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2311-E2312]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           STUDENT AID AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    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 other 
     purposes:

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of the 
Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. Today's bill provides access 
to education and builds a strong 21st Century workforce.
  It provides access to college by ensuring that students have a 
reliable source of affordable federal loans. It simplifies the FAFSA to 
make it easier to apply for assistance. And it guarantees the Pell 
grant as a key to college affordability by indexing the maximum award 
to the Consumer Price Index plus one percent.
  SAFRA will also help students stay in college with a new federal 
emphasis on college completion. As increasing numbers of Americans turn 
to community college for job training, this bill invests $3 billion to 
fund programs to retain and graduate students.

[[Page E2312]]

  SAFRA provides access to quality early childhood education by making 
new investments in innovative birth through five programs. The bill 
ensures that every child enters kindergarten ready to succeed by 
transforming early education standards and building our early childhood 
workforce.
  And finally, it provides access to safe places to learn with funds to 
repair crumbling schools and make energy-efficiency improvements to 
save money over the long term.
  Importantly, SAFRA makes these vital investments without adding a 
single penny to the federal deficit. In fact, it would return $10 
billion in savings to the Treasury.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill and ensure that every child 
has access to a high quality education, from birth to graduation day.

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