[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 16, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H949]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 H.R. 1

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Donnelly) for 2 minutes.
  Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on H.R. 1.
  Access to an affordable, quality education is part of the American 
Dream. In our competitive global economy, a college degree is more 
important than ever. With annual tuition hikes outpacing inflation, the 
cost of attending college is increasing just as quickly as the 
importance of attending. Making college more affordable has been one of 
my top priorities and should be a top priority for this Congress. 
Unfortunately, this bill sends the opposite message.
  This bill threatens to cut Pell Grants by over $5.6 billion, denying 
millions of Americans, including over 20,000 students in my district, 
the chance to attend and graduate from college. The number of my 
constituents receiving Pell Grants has increased by over 6,000 people 
over the last school year. This is possible, in large part, by efforts 
that have been supported in Congress to make college more affordable 
and provide our students with the skills needed to compete in a 21st 
century global economy.
  Access to Pell Grants is often the deciding factor for a family when 
contemplating whether they can afford to send their son or daughter to 
college. It is often the deciding factor on whether or not a displaced 
worker can afford to go back to school to get retrained. It is often a 
deciding factor on whether or not a potential student will have access 
to the world of opportunities that come with a college education.
  We need to do fiscal belt-tightening, but cutting over $5.6 billion 
in financial aid for Americans seeking higher education so that they 
may better equip themselves for the jobs of tomorrow is a self-
destructive act. Simply put, investing in education is an investment in 
our future. Cutting Pell Grants is detrimental to that future.
  We need to stand up for America and make good financial decisions. We 
need to tighten our budgets, but Pell Grants should not be one of them.

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