[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10102]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      BROKEN PROMISES TO STUDENTS

  (Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, are families and 
college students better off than they were 4 years ago? Not when it 
comes to being able to afford a higher education.
  In the year 2000, when candidate George Bush said we should make the 
path to college open for all, that was his promise. Four years later 
that path is covered in weeds and broken promises, and President Bush 
and the Republicans must accept responsibility for their failed 
leadership in this area.
  Since 2001 a 4-year public college tuition has increased by almost 30 
percent. How has President Bush responded? Each year, he broke his 
promise to provide a $5,100 maximum Pell grant to all first-year 
college students. In fact, the Pell grant this year is worth $500 less 
than it was 30 years ago, and the President's 2005 budget eliminates 
Pell grants from 95,000 deserving students who need that money to 
pursue a higher education.
  Now the Republicans are rubber-stamping the President's legislation 
that would force the typical student borrower to pay $5,500 more for 
their student loan than they currently do. I do not think those 
students believe they are better off than they were 4 years ago.

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