Providing for Consideration of H.R. Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Ensuring Small Scale Lng Certainty and Access Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As we return to the Capitol this week, there remains countless crises which demand our attention: children still separated from their families; children being murdered on school grounds, while this body stands idly by doing nothing, turning a blind eye to gun violence.

We have trade wars started by this President which are raising the cost of businesses in our communities and putting some companies out of business.

Finally, the government runs out of funding at the end of the month, the end of this month, Mr. Speaker. We find ourselves facing yet another Republican government shutdown.

But instead of funding the government and averting a shutdown, the majority has decided that these two bills are the best use of our time. That is right. The majority believes that the best use of what precious legislative time remains, 10 days, is to codify a DOE rulemaking that was just recently finalized.

Why don't we provide some meaningful oversight over this administration?

We have agency after agency attacking our Nation's workers, students, homeowners, and the health of our environment. We have a President who is starting trade wars and, reportedly, is itching to start real wars.

But instead, all the majority is interested in doing is bringing unnecessary bills on the margins, such as the ones that we are considering today.

The first bill, H.R. 4606, will codify into law a Department of Energy rulemaking that went into effect less than 3 weeks ago. H.R. 4606 is a solution in search of a problem. The current approval process is working.

However, by enshrining this rule into law, the majority is, in essence, saying that all small scale exports of LNG are always and will always be in the public's interest and will continue to be so. This is shortsighted and, if it turns out to be wrong, it will be much harder to correct this policy once it becomes law than if it were to remain a current DOE rule.

In addition, we are considering H.R. 1635, the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act.

I wish to credit my Republican colleagues. This is a bipartisan bill. This is an example of what can be done when bills are given full hearings, a markup, and represent the consensus of the people's House.

Unfortunately, the benefits of this bill are mitigated by actions from this administration that make it harder for students. For example, this past February, Republicans on the Education and the Workforce Committee passed the PROSPER Act.

The so-called PROSPER Act is a highly partisan reauthorization of the Higher Education Act that cuts nearly $15 billion from Federal student aid, leaving students with more expensive loans that are more difficult to repay; more expensive loans for young Americans with the highest interest rates in nearly a decade.

And just last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's student loan ombudsman, whose job was to protect student borrowers from predatory lending practices, resigned, resigned from his position. In his resignation letter, Seth Frotman wrote that the Trump administration has ``turned its back on young people and their financial futures.''

Mr. Frotman also stated that under the leadership of Acting Director Mulvaney, ``. . . the Bureau has abandoned the very consumers it is tasked by Congress with protecting'' and that Director Mulvaney has ``. . . used the Bureau to serve the wishes of the most powerful financial companies in America,'' not surprising to me.

Mr. Frotman wrote that the Bureau has failed student loan borrowers.

While this bill may help, H.R. 1635, in no way, reverses the damage this administration has caused our students.

Congress is supposed to be a check on the administration, not a rubber stamp.

The rule we are considering makes in order two amendments to H.R. 4606 and seven amendments in order to H.R. 1635.

I am deeply disappointed that my two amendments were not made in order to H.R. 1635. My amendments would have helped students who have suffered from the closure of schools or school branches.

When schools close, it is the students who are the real losers. They are saddled with debt and left having to navigate a complicated process for loan relief.

The two amendments I offered would have streamlined the process for students to have their loans discharged, ensuring that bureaucracy didn't slow down providing these students the relief that they need, and fixed the Pell grant process to make sure that students wouldn't be limited in pursuing their educational goals at a new institution. These are bipartisan ideas, which have been reviewed by the current administration.

I am disappointed that the House wouldn't even allow an open process; however, I am certainly not surprised. After all, this is the most closed Congress in our Nation's history. I hope that we can aim to do better and give our constituents a real debate in this House.

Mr. Speaker, as the cost to attend college has continued to rise, so has the amount of debt students and their parents have had to take on. According to the Federal Reserve, the outstanding loan debt stands at approximately $1.5 trillion and climbing. This debt load has hampered the ability of young graduates to buy their first home, a car, or start a small business.

Congress needs to do more to help students and their parents deal with the student loan crisis. This is why I rise today to offer my colleagues on the other side of the aisle the opportunity to pass a comprehensive bill to ensure that every student has a path to a debt- free degree or credential that leads to a rewarding career.

Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 6543, the Aim Higher Act. This thoughtful proposal invests in our students, making higher education more affordable while also addressing the rising costs of college.

The House is currently scheduled to be in session for just 10 days before funding for the government runs out--10 days. And while the House has passed partisan appropriation bills, none of them have been signed into law. If Congress fails to act, it will be the third time the government has shut down in 2018 alone--the third time.

Let me remind my friends on the other side of the aisle that the Republican Party is in charge of the House. The Republican Party is in charge of the Senate and the White House. President Trump is again playing games, and without leadership from this House and our colleagues in the Senate, his desire for a government shutdown will cause real people pain and hurt our growing economy.

Three thousand Federal workers in my district have heard President Trump tell them that they are the reason that we are in debt. Three thousand workers in my district and 2 million nationally are wondering if they will be furloughed, while corporations and millionaires get massive tax cuts.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question and the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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