July 29, 2011
It
is most disturbing and unfortunate to learn that there are Members of
Congress who are opposed to the debt-limit bill proposed by Speaker
Boehner because of his foresight to provide funds to the Pell Grant
Program. Pell Grants provide opportunity to low-income individuals;
these are students who have not grown up in privileged environments. To
analogize Pell Grants with welfare is appalling and displays a profound
ignorance about the value of a program that offers opportunity to hard
working students who wish to become contributing members of society and
America’s economy. In fact, Pell is a very good investment.
Speaker
Boehner has crafted a measure that produces the results his conference
demanded while recognizing the investment needed in our future. This
Pell investment is fully paid for with a cut to another higher education
program while directing nearly $5 billion toward deficit reduction.
Furthermore, the proposal includes $3 trillion in spending cuts that
will be felt by everyone, including higher education.
Members
of Congress should have the courage to support this investment in our
nation’s future while protecting the American and global economies from
collapse. Higher education and its students have contributed to the
solution of paying down our debt and will continue to do so. The time
is now to support the Pell Grant Program and provide our youth with the
opportunity to succeed.
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