Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015
Floor Speech
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Mr. President, last week when I was back in my home State of Wisconsin, I had the privilege of hosting a roundtable with college students from all across the southeastern area of the State. The focus of the conversation was how we in Congress could help keep college affordable and accessible. During the course of that conversation, it was abundantly clear that most of the students were very frustrated that Congress could not take some of the most commonsense steps to make that happen. I told them that I shared their frustration and ensured them that I would be going back to Washington, DC, this week to fight on their behalf.
This morning I hosted a Google Hangout and spoke with campus newspapers from across the State of Wisconsin to reiterate my commitment on this issue. So here I am, almost 1 month from the day that I last stood here on the Senate floor, 1 month since a single United States Senator stood up and blocked a commonsense and bipartisan measure that would have continued to provide critical financial support for America's low-income college students.
In the short month since our efforts to reauthorize the Federal Perkins Loan Program were obstructed, the immediate impacts are already becoming quite clear. Last week, the Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations began surveying colleges and universities that participate in the Perkins loan program to learn more about how this obstruction is impacting their students. After a few days, they heard from over 100 students outlining how allowing Perkins to expire is harming students and institutions alike. There are real impacts being felt by real students right now across America. If we don't act, this damaging impact will ripple across our community. Therefore, we cannot sit idly by.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3594, which is at the desk, that the bill be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
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Mr. President, this is incredibly frustrating. I am going to spend a few minutes talking about how this objection, this obstruction is impacting the students of America and the higher education institutions of America. There are real impacts that are being felt right now. Students who have previously received Perkins loans will lose their future eligibility if they change institutions or academic programs. Students seeking Perkins loans for the upcoming winter and spring semesters will not be eligible at all if we don't act soon to reauthorize this program. Finally, all future students will be ineligible for this program.
This afternoon right before I came down to the Senate floor, I received a letter from the president of the University of Wisconsin's system, Ray Cross--a letter that was co-signed by all 14 of the UW system university chancellors. In their message, they shared compelling insight into how the sudden end to the Federal Perkins Loan Program is already affecting Wisconsin students. They then closed their letter with this:
[W]e need to keep this program in place. After all, our job is to help students who would not otherwise be able to attend higher education and to help them overcome barriers, particularly financial barriers, all of which helps to ensure access, retention, completion, and a skilled workforce. These are goals upon which all of us can agree.
One month ago our colleagues in the House of Representatives--a body rarely called a place of agreement--took up and passed a measure that would extend this student loan program for 1 year. I previously called up that bill here in the Senate and asked unanimous consent that we extend the Federal Perkins Loan Program. While I look forward to a broader conversation about improving Federal supports for students as we look to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, I don't believe--and I still don't--that we can sit idly by while America's students are left with such uncertainty.
As everyone heard, I asked unanimous consent to proceed to the consideration of the bill, and one Senator stood up on behalf of Republican leadership and blocked our ability at this point in time to extend the Federal Perkins Loan Program by 1 year.
Again, I understand a desire, and frankly, share a desire to have a broader conversation about Federal student aid as part of the Higher Education Act reauthorization effort. I still do not think it is right or fair to let this program expire to the detriment of thousands of students in need. Frankly, this is a perfect example of why the American people are so upset with Washington.
Since 1958, the Federal Perkins Loan Program has been successfully helping Americans access affordable higher education with low-interest loans for students who cannot borrow or afford more expensive private student loans.
In Wisconsin, the program provides more than 20,000 low-income university and college students with more than $41 million in aid, but the impact of this program isn't just isolated to the Badger State. In fact, the Federal Perkins Loan Program aids over half a million students with financial need each year across 1,500 institutions of higher learning.
The schools themselves originate, service, and collect the fixed interest loan rates, and what is more, institutions maintain loans available for future students because these are revolving funds.
Since the program's creation, institutions have invested millions of dollars of their own funds into the program. In addition to making higher education accessible for low-income students, the program serves as an incentive for people who wish to go into public service by offering targeted loan cancellations for specific professions in areas of high need, such as teaching, nursing, and law enforcement.
As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and as a Senator representing a State with such a rich history of higher education, it is among my highest priorities to fight to ensure that the Federal Perkins Loan Program continues for generations to come, but unfortunately, as we saw, one single Senator stood up again today and said no to students across America who ask for nothing more than an opportunity to pursue their dreams--students such as Andrew.
Andrew is currently a student at the University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point. Without the support of his Perkins loan, Andrew said he would not have had the means to attend college. He has little to no income at his disposal. Today, not only is Andrew making the dean's list every semester, but he now has his sights set on attending law school, also at the University of Wisconsin. Andrew said: ``Without the assistance I get from the Perkins Loan I would be forced to either take out other high-interest loans, or delay my graduation date, or drop out--which is the last thing I want to do.''
Today this body also stood up and once again said no to students such as Nayeli Spahr. Nayeli was raised by a single mother who was an immigrant and worked two full-time jobs. Nayeli attended 10 different schools in 3 different States before she finished high school. Without the Federal Perkins Loan Program, Nayeli said her opportunity to get a college education would have been ``an illusionary dream.''
Today Nayeli is the first in her family to finish college and is now in her last year of medical school. She is planning to work with those who are underserved in our urban communities. She finished by saying:
The Perkins loan program helped me reach this point. And its existence is essential to provide that opportunity for other young adults wanting to believe in themselves and to empower their communities to be better. Please save it!
You don't have to look very far to find the dramatic impact that this investment has on America's students. There are thousands of stories like the ones I just shared, representing thousands of students who are still benefitting from the opportunities provided to them by this hugely successful program.
I am disappointed and frustrated that our bipartisan effort in the Senate has again been obstructed. I will continue to fight to extend support for America's students in the form of extending the Federal Perkins Loan Program so that we can find a way to show the half-million American students who rely on this loan program that we are standing with them and that we are committed to helping them build a stronger future for themselves and our country.
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