Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the Department of Education Relating to ``Waivers and Modifications of Federal Student Loans''

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I want to take just a few minutes to speak about Robert Zimmer, the former president of the University of Chicago.

Barbara and I, first, want to express our condolences to Shadi, his wife, and their three children.

President Zimmer's time at the University of Chicago was defined by his relentless defense of freedom of expression. As a result of his commitment, the University of Chicago remains a place where diversity of viewpoint is always welcome, and the enforcement of that welcoming is very sincere.

In 2014, President Zimmer appointed the university's Committee on Freedom of Expression. That committee issued what is called the Chicago Principles, which declare the importance of uncensored thought and inquiry in the university experience.

I think it was also common for the president to make sure that a letter went out to first-year students. I have never read the complete letter, but in reading about it, I get the impression that the letter said to those first-year students what this policy from the Committee on Freedom of Expression was all about and that if you have to worry about having safe spaces or if you are worried about being confronted by somebody you might disagree with because of their ideology, then don't come to this university.

But President Zimmer's impact is not limited just to that one university; his courage in pushing for free speech on college campuses has been felt nationwide. In my opinion, it is not as much as it should be, but still he has made a big impact. The Chicago Principles have now been adopted in some form by over 80 colleges and universities. You can see that the number 80 is small compared to the thousands of colleges and universities and community colleges we have in our country. That doesn't mean there are not more than 80 colleges that would have the principle of freedom of expression, but we know that 80 colleges have adopted the Chicago approach.

President Zimmer and the principles he stood for are absolutely right because college is a place for learning, not for coddling. Campus, then, should be a place where ideas run rampant. After all, you go to college to prepare yourself for life after college. Where you go for a job or anyplace else, there are probably not these safe spaces that some students think they have to have while they are at various universities for a period of 4 years out of a possible life through the other 60 years they are going to live, on average, after they get out of college.

That mission is not possible if colleges only pursue the appearance of diversity instead of real diversity. That just isn't diversity from the standpoint of ethnicity, religion, color, gender; it is about diversity of thought and the willingness to discuss those diverse opinions among people so they can learn from each other and respect each other.

In recent years, campus administrators have retreated from free speech, even punishing professors who try to do the right thing by having honest discussions about issues of any kind, particularly controversial issues.

So we need students, we need professors, and we need alumni willing to sound the alarm about the chilling of debate on our university and college campuses. Most importantly, we need campus leaders like President Zimmer who will stand up for freedom of expression in the face of diversity. Without President Zimmer and his principles, our next generation will be taught regurgitation, not independent thought.

We ought to honor his legacy by advocating for learning and free expression and respecting people's opinions whom you might disagree with, even being willing to sit down and discuss with those people you might disagree with.

So with his death, I think he is going to be sorely missed, and I hope that college presidents across the country can learn from his example.

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