[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 107 (Thursday, June 23, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E660-E661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           COMMEMORATING THE NATIONAL FEDERAL PELL GRANT DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 23, 2022

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 50th 
anniversary of the Pell Grant Program.
  All Americans, regardless of their income, should have the right to 
access quality education, which is invaluable for accessing good jobs, 
financial stability, and economic mobility. Throughout my career, I 
have strongly supported the Pell Grant Program, which provides direct 
financial assistance to low-income students to ensure they have the 
same access to higher education and opportunities for success as their 
higher-income peers.
  Since its creation, more than 80 million students have received a 
Pell Grant. Today, nearly 7 million students are going to college with 
Pell Grants, including over 17,000 students in my district who are 
receiving $71 million to pursue their higher education goals.
  As a recipient of financial aid who couldn't have attended college 
without help, I understand the need for the federal government to 
ensure students have access to higher education. I believe that a 
college education--

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whether from a vocational school, a community college, or a four-year 
college--should open doors for students, not weigh them down with 
insurmountable debt.
  When the program was created 50 years ago with bipartisan support, it 
could cover more than 75 percent of the cost of earning a four-year 
degree at a public university. But today, it doesn't even cover 30 
percent of the cost. That's why I've fought throughout my career to 
increase Pell Grant funding in order to help current and future 
students with the rising costs of higher education.
  Our investment in the Pell Grant is an investment in our children's 
and our nation's future. As we mark 50 years of the Pell Grant program 
and recognize the success of graduates who have benefitted from it, I 
look forward to continuing my support for the program to ensure future 
students have access to invaluable opportunities without being saddled 
with burdensome loan debt.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan resolution declaring 
June 23, 2022, as National Pell Grant Day, as well as to work towards 
protecting the right for all Americans to pursue a higher education 
should they choose, regardless of their financial status.

                          ____________________