Military Construction, The Department of Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. President, while it appears we will avert a government shutdown, another serious deadline with serious consequences looms over this body. Tonight, unless the Senate acts by midnight, the Federal Perkins Loan Program will expire, impacting the education of over one-half million students across America. I am here now to call on all of my colleagues to join me in supporting the extension of this critical investment in our Nation's students.

I am not alone in my desire to see us take action instead of creating what I would consider another manufactured crisis--a crisis of our own making. In fact, we have already seen strong bipartisan support for this investment in our future. Senators Portman, Collins, Kirk, Ayotte, and Thune have joined with more than 20 Senate Democrats on a resolution urging the continuation of the Federal Perkins Loan Program supporting low-income students in their pursuit of a higher education.

Yesterday Senators Collins, Portman, and Ayotte joined me and Senator Casey and Senator Murray here on the Senate floor in support of saving this program. I am pleased the junior Senator from New Hampshire and Senator Casey are here with me now, once again calling to protect this incredibly important investment.

On Monday, our colleagues in the House of Representatives unanimously passed a measure that would extend this student loan program for 1 year, and I am here to call on my colleagues in the Senate to do the same.

While I look forward to a much broader conversation about improving Federal support for students as we look to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, we can't sit idly by and watch it expire as America's students are left with such uncertainty.

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