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The Republican Raid on Student Aid

Date: Dec. 8, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Education


THE REPUBLICAN RAID ON STUDENT AID -- (Extensions of Remarks - December 08, 2005)

SPEECH OF
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
OF MINNESOTA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2005

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support and in solidarity with America's college students and our Nation's higher education institutions. Our competitiveness in the global economy is built on the foundation of a highly educated workforce. My Republican colleagues feel financial aid for higher education is a privilege, not a necessarily for American students.

The Republican strategy to cut and gut Federal financial aid by over $14 billion hurts students, hurts families and threatens America's competitiveness. Harming higher education harms America.

The Republican raid on student aid makes the largest cut in the history of Federal student financial aid, while also increasing the deficit by $20 billion--adding more debt on the backs of hard working Americans and students.

Tim McDonald attends Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Tim spoke eloquently to me last week against these cuts. Tim said:

The generation that benefited from highly-subsidized, affordable higher education is now pulling the ladder up with them and forcing us to debt finance not only our own education, but their tax cuts.....

http://thomas.loc.gov

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