[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 27 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E269-E270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. MAZIE K. HIRONO

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 16, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense and the other 
     departments and agencies of the Government for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes:

  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Chu amendment, 
and for the 19,000 students in Hawaii who rely on Pell grants to pay 
for college.
  That's 22 percent of the student body at Maui College. 30 percent at 
the University of

[[Page E270]]

Hawaii at Hilo. 17 percent at UH Manoa. 18 percent at UH West Oahu. 22 
percent at Chaminade. 13 percent at Hawaii Pacific University.
  The underlying bill turns a blind eye to these 19,000 students in 
Hawaii, and 9 million students nationwide. H.R. 1 would slash Pell 
grants by more than 15 percent, the largest cut in the program's 
history.
  Investing in education is an investment in our future. Employees with 
a bachelor's degree earn more than $20,000 per year more than those 
without a degree, and in turn contribute more to the economy in taxes 
and spending. For low-income families struggling to make ends meet, 
Pell grants are a lifeline to help students pay for college.
  Meanwhile, Pell grants have not kept pace with rising tuition costs. 
In 1979, Pell grants helped low-income students at four-year public 
colleges pay for 77 percent of their tuition, fees, room, and board. 
Today, the grant covers less than half that--just 34 percent of college 
expenses.
  In this difficult economy, slashing investments in education like 
Pell is exactly the wrong move to make. The Chu amendment would restore 
full funding to the Pell grant program, and I urge my colleagues to 
adopt it.

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