Reserved for the Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I voted to oppose H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, because I cannot support legislation that amounts to a government takeover of student loans, and at the expense of private industry. The same legislation does continue several efforts I have championed throughout my time as a Member of Congress, and it is regretful that these initiatives were not taken up separately to make it easier for students to get the financial aid they need to get a college degree.

I support increasing the amount of aid available to college students through Pell Grants awards and voted to do so twice in the 110th Congress (H.R. 4137 and H.R. 2669). This program is vital to ensuring the accessibility of higher education for all Americans and I'm pleased this bill continues this increase in Pell Grants.

In addition, I supported efforts to cut interest rates on federal student loans in half (H.R. 5) and to expand eligibility for parents to qualify for education loans for their children (H.R. 5715). I have also been a strong supporter of funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions, which received valuable support in this bill as well.

I was a proud supporter and original sponsor of legislation that would help bridge economic opportunity and the digital divide between minority institutions and their counterparts (H.R. 4137 in the 110th). I will continue to fight for these critical initiatives and others to improve access and quality in American education.

Pell Grants awards, HBCUs, community college funding, and pre-K programs are too important to include them in the same bill alongside reckless provisions that restrict the student loan market and place the fate of student access to financial aid under the care and supervision of the federal government.