09.15.09

Chairman Miller Statement at Press Conference on Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, for a press conference on H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009.

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Good afternoon. I’d like to thank U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Reps. Tom Petri, Tim Bishop, Ruben Hinojosa, and all our colleagues for joining us today.

I’d especially like to thank all the students for coming, and Jelisa Difon who will be sharing her story with us shortly.

We are here today under very exciting circumstances.

Over the next several days, the House will consider – and I believe will overwhelmingly pass – legislation that will be transformative for our students, families and taxpayers.

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act will allow us to invest $87 billion to make college more affordable, to build a world-class community college system, to improve opportunities to help our youngest students succeed, and to pay down our deficit.

For the many college students paying close attention to this bill, let me be specific about what our reforms mean for you:

More help covering your tuition and expenses, including historic investments in the Pell Grant scholarship; Better opportunities to prepare for good, 21st jobs; and Financial aid programs that are simpler, reliable, and operate in your best interest.

Now we’ll be able to do this at absolutely no cost to taxpayers, by undertaking long overdue student loan reforms.

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act is a win-win.

It will guarantee students dependable access federal college aid, and make these programs more effective and efficient for families and taxpayers.

It will save $87 billion over 10 years that we will invest toward rebuilding an economy that is cutting edge, innovative, and will help regain our global leadership.

All of these investments are key priorities of President Obama’s. And I’d like to thank him and Secretary Duncan for recognizing this can’t-miss opportunity to do the right thing for students, for taxpayers, and our country.

No student in this great country of ours should have to mortgage their future to pursue their dreams. Many of the students with us today – like so many other millions of Americans – have.

Let’s remember whose voices really matter here. It’s time to listen to our students and vote to stand on the right side of history.