David Cicilline

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, on the Legislative Day of June 8, 2012, upon request of a leave of absence after 11:00 a.m., a series of votes were held. Had I been present for these roll call votes, I would have cast the following votes: On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (Roll No. 372)--I vote ``No''; On agreeing to the Scalise amendment (Roll No. 373)--I vote ``No''; On agreeing to the Moran amendment (Roll No. 374)--I vote ``Yes''; On agreeing to the Flake amendment (Roll No. 375)--I vote ``No''; On motion to recommit with instructions (Roll No. 376)--I vote ``Yes''; On passage (Roll No. 377)--I vote ``No''; and On motion that the House instruct conferees (Roll No. 378)--I vote ``No.''

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Devin Beck, a native of Tiverton, in my home State of Rhode Island. Devin set a goal to raise $2,000 for Executives Without Borders, a nonprofit organization that works to engage business professionals in solving humanitarian challenges across the world. So on January 11 of this year, Devin left St. Augustine, Florida, with the goal of bicycling to San Diego, California, a destination more than 2,000 miles away. On February 25, 46 days later, Devin arrived in San Diego, completing a journey that spanned 232 hours, 17 minutes, and 44 seconds on his bike. In the end, Devin exceeded his goals and raised $6,000 for Executives Without Borders to benefit a program that is helping Haiti to build new recycling centers to recover from the devastating hurricane it suffered in 2010. I congratulate this young man, Devin, as well as his parents, Donald and Kathleen, on his truly impressive accomplishments and wish him continued success.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, our most pressing legislative items were nowhere to be seen on the House floor today. We had an opportunity to make headway on critical legislation, but Republicans have not provided action or solutions, only obstruction and delay. Student loan interest rates will double on July 1 if Congress does nothing. After losing an estimated 28,000 construction jobs last month, Congress still hasn't passed a highway bill. The Republican leadership in the House refuses to bring the bipartisan Senate transportation bill to the floor for a vote, even though it would support 1 million construction jobs right away, including more than 8,000 in the State of Rhode Island. Our middle class families, our small businesses, and our students and manufacturers deserve greater certainty so they can better plan their lives and companies, grow jobs and strengthen our economy. Yet another day has passed without action to avoid sequestration or address expiring tax provisions or prevent rising costs for higher education. Instead, Republicans plan to waste more time this week with partisan anti-environment messaging bills with little or no hope of passage in the Senate and veto threats that have already been issued by the administration. We cannot let this become another wasted week. Our constituents deserve more. This Congress has to take action now, not delay until it's too late.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I rise today to honor Anthony Anderson, a rising junior at LaSalle Academy in my home State of Rhode Island. Earlier this year, Anthony was awarded a Gold Medal from the National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for a self-portrait he submitted focused on the issue of bullying. Anthony has been recognized each year by the National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards since he was in the seventh grade, and this month, Anthony's painting is on display at an art gallery in New York City. His family and his art teacher at LaSalle were invited to Carnegie Hall last week for a ceremony honoring his work and the work of other Gold Medal winners from across our Nation. I congratulate Anthony on his impressive accomplishments and join Rhode Islanders all across our State in wishing him continued success in the years ahead.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of two amendments I am offering in this bloc, both of which seek to ensure Pakistan demonstrates its commitment to counterterrorism operations and the dismantling of improvised explosive device networks. According to news reports, the majority of IEDs in Afghanistan share a common ingredient, calcium ammonium nitrate, which is illegal in Afghanistan but completely legal in Pakistan. When asked about what the Pentagon is doing to put pressure on Pakistan's distribution network of ammonium nitrate at his Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Secretary Panetta said: We've urged them, the Pakistanis, to take steps. In some cases, they have. In some cases, they wind up there too late. But we're continuing to impress upon them that they have got to be part of the answer to dealing with this issue. That's why I have offered amendment 121, which would tie the funding of the Pakistan counterinsurgency fund to a certification requirement by the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, that Pakistan is making significant effort in implementing a strategy to counter improvised explosive devices, IEDs. Too many American soldiers have been killed or wounded as a result of IEDs.

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentleman. We are also considering amendment 118 in this bloc. This amendment would require that, before providing reimbursement to Pakistan for its efforts in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the Secretary of Defense must certify Pakistan is taking ``demonstrable steps'' to support counterterrorism operations against terrorist organizations, dismantle IED networks, prevent the proliferation of nuclear-related material and expertise, and issue visas in a timely manner for United States Government personnel supporting counterterrorism efforts and assistance programs in Pakistan. These are commonsense amendments.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, today, as our Nation recognizes National Police Week, I rise to honor Sergeant Maxwell Dorley of the Providence Police Department. Sergeant Dorley is a hero to the city of Providence, a city he gave his life protecting last month. Sergeant Dorley was responding to a call for assistance from a fellow officer when his police cruiser veered into a telephone pole. Sergeant Dorley was later pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital. He leaves behind a wife and two children who have remained in my thoughts and prayers since the day of his passing and in the thoughts and prayers of our entire community. At the time of his death, Sergeant Dorley was working to build a new home in Georgia where he planned to one day retire with his family. A 15-year veteran of the Providence Police Department, Sergeant Dorley was known for his popularity with his fellow officers. The department honored his memory by posthumously promoting him to the rank of ``sergeant'' following his death--an honor that he well-deserved. We keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, yesterday, this Chamber narrowly passed a bill entitled the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. But although the bill we voted on shared its name with landmark legislation that this Chamber passed in 1994 to deter crimes against women, it failed to advance the important protections that should be afforded to all victims of domestic violence and sexual assaults. Our colleagues in the Senate, Democrats and Republicans, worked together to pass a strong, bipartisan reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Yet, rather than carrying on the important tradition of working in a bipartisan fashion to strengthen and reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act here in the House, Republicans crafted a partisan bill that failed to include many of the important protections enacted by the Senate. In fact, the Republican legislation would undermine vital protections and services for victims of domestic violence. The House Republican proposal left out improvements that the Senate had passed, including protections for immigrant women, college students, and LGBT Americans. A bipartisan coalition of 13 women Senators, including Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, signed a letter to Speaker Boehner yesterday urging that he call a vote on the strong, bipartisan Senate-passed bill that would strengthen protections for all victims of domestic and sexual violence saying, ``We should not let politics pick and choose which victims of abuse to help and which to ignore''--a bill, by the way, that every single woman in the Senate, Republicans and Democrats, voted for. Reauthorizing important provisions that help ensure the safety of all victims of domestic and sexual abuse across our country should be routine--even in Washington, D.C. But once again, House Republicans have allowed a far-right ideology to interfere with the commonsense approach to protecting women and families from violence. Women's lives are too important for another round of congressional brinksmanship. Last year, in my home State of Rhode Island, more than 13,000 hotline calls were answered by the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Republicans in this Chamber are wrong to relegate the safety and well-being of these women behind an extreme political ideology. I urge my colleagues to continue their strong support for the bipartisan Senate legislation that would provide effective protections for all victims of sexual or domestic violence. We must keep the pressure on for passage of the Senate bipartisan bill. America's women and our families deserve no less.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join the people of Nagorno-Karabakh in recognizing the 20th anniversary of the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh and of the formation of the Republic's army. Twenty years ago, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh fought and died for their independence from Soviet Azeri repression and discrimination. From the earliest days of its formation, the Republic's freely elected governmental bodies have built an open democratic society through free and transparent elections. Over the next few days, families of Armenian descent throughout my home State of Rhode Island will honor the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Republic's army and the liberation of Shushi. Today, the Rhode Island General Assembly will be joined by Mr. Robert Avetisyan, the Permanent Representative of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to the United States, as they adopt a resolution supporting the Republic's efforts to develop as a free and independent Nation--a fact that many Rhode Islanders take great pride in.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tim Earnshaw, who was recently named Investigator of the Year by the United States Investigations Services, which is the largest commercial provider of background investigations for the Federal Government. Mr. Earnshaw was chosen out of a group of nearly 2,300 full-time employees from all across the country based on his exceptional performance shown through production and quality metrics, mentoring others, initiative leadership, and community leadership. Mr. Earnshaw, who has worked for USIS for the past 7\1/2\ years, lives with his wife, Colleen, in my district of North Providence, Rhode Island, where they are active in several charitable and nonprofit organizations. I was honored to welcome Mr. Earnshaw to my office recently and to congratulate him on winning this award. We all take great pride in his accomplishments today. His professionalism and work ethic are a great example of the extraordinary men and women of Rhode Island's First Congressional District.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Chairman, in an effort to drive innovation and regional collaboration, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 mandated the creation of a Regional Innovation Program within the Economic Development Administration. This program is intended to encourage and support the development of regional innovation strategies, including regional innovation clusters and science and research parks. The President's fiscal year 2013 budget requested $25 million to fund the Regional Innovation Strategies Program. Funding for the Regional Innovation Program would support the Economic Development Agency's interagency effort to build regional innovation clusters, including the Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge. The Jobs Accelerator is a competitive interagency grant that supports the advancement of high-growth regional industry clusters, very important all across America and particularly important in my home State of Rhode Island. EDA is currently working in partnership with other Federal agencies, including the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration and the Small Business Administration, to promote regional collaboration to spur job growth and economic development. The Jobs Accelerator aggregates existing investments and technical assistance from multiple Federal agencies to strengthen regional industry clusters--networks of interconnected firms and institutions working to accelerate job growth, business formation and expansion, innovation, workforce training, and small business development. A targeted investment in this program will help Federal, State, and local entities leverage existing resources, spur regional collaboration, and advance economic recovery and job-creation efforts in high-growth industries. Through the Regional Innovation Program, local leaders are empowered to maximize existing assets and are provided resources to ensure that historically underrepresented communities, including those hardest hit by unemployment and economic decline, are able to participate in and benefit from the regional cluster. My amendment is simple and straightforward. It does not create any new program or authorization. It does not increase or decrease a single account in the appropriations bill for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, Science, and related agencies. Rather, this amendment serves to specifically cite the Regional Innovation Program to focus attention on this vitally important job-creating initiative as the appropriation process moves forward. The Regional Innovation Program has been specifically supported and cited in both the fiscal year 2012 and fiscal year 2013 Senate CJS Appropriations Committee report. We have to recognize that innovation is critically important to America's ability to compete in the global economy. Supporting the development of regional innovation clusters will strengthen our capacity to create and retain new jobs and sustain our economic recovery. The Regional Innovation Program will help Federal, State, and local entities leverage existing resources, spur regional collaboration, and support economic recovery and job creation in these high-growth industries. I urge my colleagues to support this very straightforward and simple amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, unless Congress acts, millions of students will see their student loan interest rates double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1 of this year. This issue is important to students, parents, teachers, and businesses all across my home State of Rhode Island. It will result in more than 43,000 students paying more than $34 million in additional interest costs. We must act on this issue. But some in this Chamber have put partisanship ahead of good public policy and propose extending these rates by cutting funding for preventative health care. Today the Senate will be voting on cloture for a bill that would extend low-interest student loans by closing a tax loophole. I would like to especially thank my State's senior Senator, Jack Reed, for his leadership in highlighting this issue on the Senate side and making sure that Congress acts in the best interests of working families. I urge my colleagues in the House to reconsider their course of action and to not propose a false choice between the welfare of our young people and public health. We owe it to our young people to ensure that we prevent these rates from doubling.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I want to thank the gentlelady for yielding. I want to say that the gentlelady from the District of Columbia is right, Georgetown Law School is very expensive. I too had student loans to go to law school and worked two jobs also as a waiter to do that. And I didn't know anybody who was in law school with me that wasn't there with some loan. I didn't know anyone that I met that either they or their parents wrote a check for the tuition. That's the experience of millions and millions of families all across this country. I was listening to the gentlelady recount all of the work that the Democrats have done in investing in education, and it's because we realize it's not about us. It's about the future of our country. These are investments in young people who are going to be the leaders of this country, and access to education is so central to the American Dream. I really just want to conclude by thanking the gentlelady for leading this conversation. I hope it will help really be a call to action for young people all across this country on Tuesday. I'm having a call-to- action in my district encouraging young people to demand that Congress do the responsible thing, prevent this rise in interest rates, but also continue to make the investments we need to make in education for their sake and for our sake. I thank the gentlelady for the time.

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank my colleague, Ms. Edwards, for having this conversation this evening and to say how important it is for me and the residents of my State, the State of Rhode Island. Rhode Island is, of course, the home of the great Senator Claiborne Pell after whom the Pell Grants were named for his great work in ensuring there was access to affordable higher education. There was a recent report that was done that said from the year 2008 to 2018, it's estimated that there will be 47 million job openings created, and more than 30 million of these jobs will require at least some level of postsecondary education. So this is really about thinking about the future of the economy of our country and our ability to meet the demands of the new economy of the 21st century. And it's an economic imperative for families that they have the ability to access higher education and to do it in an affordable way. In my State, this is particularly important where we have very high unemployment. Young adults in 2010 from the ages from 16 24, there is an unemployment rate in Rhode Island of nearly 27 percent, and in 2011, at 22 percent for that same age group. That's between 16,000 and 17,000 young adults without the ability to find work in those 2 years. This is a very important issue. I have talked to so many of my constituents, both students and families, who are worried about their ability to continue to access education, that are making decisions as they're getting their letters in the mail about where they are going to go to school and thinking about what those costs will be. What is incredibly disappointing is what we saw today in this Chamber; we've seen this movie before. We saw it during the extension of the payroll tax cut. We saw it in the transportation bill, this idea of a very urgent need that we have to address working in a bipartisan way and at the very final hours, some poison pill is thrown into the bill that is obstructing progress on this issue. Today it was women's health and children's health and cutting nearly $12 billion from an important wellness and prevention fund to do this. Look, we have got to do this for the sake of young people in this country who are in school, who have school loans, who are thinking about new opportunities. We have got to prevent this increase in interest rates. It's important to families who are struggling in a really difficult economy, but it's also important to the future of our country. We have got to be in the position to ensure the best talent has the ability to access education in this country. You know, there are so many young people who, without school loans, will never have the opportunity to pursue higher education and to pursue their dream or to make a life for themselves and their family. We have a responsibility to be sure that we keep these rates low, as low as we possibly can so that young people and families are not having to struggle with this additional burden at a time when we want to be encouraging as many young people as possible to be pursuing higher education and the opportunities and careers that come with it. I come from a State that understands that investing in education is critical to families and critical to economic opportunity. Education still is the best tool to bring people from poverty into the middle class and beyond, and we have got to make sure that it's available to every single American. I'm very disappointed today that the measure was undertaken in the way that it was, and the President has already indicated an intention to veto this proposal. There are other proposals that we have in this House I'm a cosponsor of that will do this in a responsible way that have bipartisan support in the Senate. We have got to do this for the sake of young people in this country, and we owe it to families to ensure that this rate does not double on July 1. I thank the gentlelady for her leadership on this, and I am proud to continue to be part of this important fight for the sake of the future of our young people and for the sake of the future for our country.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the 1.5 million Armenians, men, women, and children, who were massacred under the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. Each year, Armenians throughout the world mark April 24 as Genocide Remembrance Day by honoring those who perished from 1915 to 1923, and I join my friends and colleagues in remembering the victims today. It's important to raise awareness about the Armenian genocide not only because it is an undeniable chapter in world history, but also because learning more about this horrific tragedy underscores the importance of eliminating intolerance and bigotry wherever it occurs. I have enormous respect and admiration for the strength, resilience, and perseverance of the Armenian-American community. Over the decades since this massacre in their homeland occurred they built lives, homes, and businesses, and raised families in Rhode Island and across the country. As the Congressman from Rhode Island's First Congressional District, I have the honor of representing many Armenian-Americans who grew up hearing family stories about the atrocities firsthand, as many are children and grandchildren of genocide survivors. Armenian-Americans living in my home state of Rhode Island have made significant contributions through their leadership in business, law, academia, government, and the arts. As a cosponsor of the Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, House Resolution 304, I strongly believe that the time has come for the United States government to recognize this atrocity for what it was--genocide. I join my colleagues today in remembering and honoring the victims of the Armenian genocide.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children who were massacred under the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. Each year, Armenians throughout the world mark April 24 as Genocide Remembrance Day by honoring those who perished from 1915 to 1923, and I join my friends and colleagues in remembering the victims today. It's important to raise awareness about the Armenian genocide not only because it is an undeniable chapter in world history, but also because learning more about this horrific tragedy underscores the importance of eliminating intolerance and bigotry wherever it occurs. Armenian Americans living in my home State of Rhode Island have made significant contributions through their leadership in business, law, academia, government, and the arts. As a cosponsor of House Resolution 304, I strongly believe that the time has come for the United States Government to recognize this atrocity for what it was--genocide. I join my colleagues today in recognizing the victims of the Armenian genocide.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lance Corporal Abraham Tarwoe of the United States Marine Corps. A Liberian American, Lance Corporal Tarwoe elected to serve the United States when he joined the Marine Corps in 2009. He was promoted to the rank of lance corporal just 2 years ago. As a mortar man with the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Lance Corporal Tarwoe was conducting combat operations as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Helmand province in Afghanistan when he lost his life on April 12. Among other awards, Lance Corporal Tarwoe earned the Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. His family is planning to hold a burial service in Liberia, following a memorial service in the United States on April 28. My thoughts and prayers are with Lance Corporal Tarwoe's wife, their 1-year-old son, and their entire extended family. As a grateful Nation and with heavy hearts, we remember him today for making the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom and on behalf of our Nation. May we honor his memory always.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentleman from Connecticut for his extraordinary leadership on this issue, which is important to Rhode Island, but really important to students all across our country. I think one of the things that has struck me during this debate about this issue in the last several weeks as we've tried to bring attention to this issue is that this is really a moment in the history of our country where we need to recognize--maybe more than anytime at least in my lifetime--the urgency of investing in education and of ensuring that young people have access to a quality education. The idea that we're in a position to prevent interest rates from doubling for those who are benefiting from Stafford loans and that this Congress seems poised not to do anything about it, to me, is, as you said, unconscionable. There was a report that was done recently, the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. They found that over the period from 2008 to 2018, about 47 million job openings will be created; and of that, more than 30 million of these jobs will require at least some level of postsecondary education. So this is the reality for our country, that we have got to realize if we're going to create jobs and be sure that we have young people who have the skills necessary to fill those jobs in this new knowledge economy of the 21st century, we have to make it easier for people to access higher education, not more difficult. And Congress wisely cut the rate in half from 6.8 percent to 3.4. We have to make sure it stays there. Now, I come from a State that brought us the great Senator Claiborne Pell, who was the creator of the Pell Grant, which created and continues to create hope and opportunity and access to education for millions and millions of Americans, really unlocking opportunity and keys to success. We all understand that not only the student benefits from that education, but we all benefit. The community benefits when we have a well-educated group of young people that are making new discoveries, that are finding cures for diseases, that are inventing new products, that are building productive lives to support themselves and their families. And this is a moment when we have to be sure that we're protecting families from the consequences of this kind of interest rate increase, doubling, as you just said, Representative. The United States Public Interest Research Group says that without congressional action, borrowers who have taken out the maximum $23,000 in subsidized student loans will see their interest balloon to an additional $5,200 over a 10-year repayment and $11,300 over a 20-year repayment. So this is a huge increase for families, many of whom in my State, where we continue to have very high unemployment, the second highest in the country, where families are struggling with the consequences of the housing crisis and difficulty finding work, this cannot, we cannot allow this to happen. It will cause incredible hardship for families in Rhode Island and my district. I was recently at Roger Williams University and at several other universities in my district meeting with young people. All were concerned about will Pell Grants continue, will we be able to protect Pell Grants, and what's going to happen when they graduate and have student loans. Are these kinds of interest rates going to be in existence, which are just not affordable to young people. And the idea that we have 73 days, you know, this is a moment where we can demonstrate we can get something done. My friends on the other side of the aisle don't seem interested in addressing this issue which, for Rhode Islanders, and I know you recently had an event in Connecticut, and I know many of our colleagues around the country doing this, we've got to rally young people to demand that the legislation which you sponsored, H.R. 3826, and which I'm proud to be a cosponsor of, and my Senator, Senator Reid on the Senate side is the lead sponsor, we've got to demand that Speaker Boehner bring this to the floor for a vote. Our colleagues need to hear from their families in their districts, from young people all across this country. This is about our own investment in our future as a country, that we benefit from young people who have access to higher education. At a time where our economy is still recovering, we can't allow interest rates to student loans to double. I'm going to continue to fight very hard. I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this. I hope that we will continue to beat the drums on this for the next 73 days till we force some action here on the floor of the House for the sake of the young people in this country and for the sake of our future as a thriving and prosperous democracy. I again thank the gentleman for the opportunity to speak to this issue tonight.

Mr. CICILLINE. I too want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut, and I hope that we will all do everything we can to keep this issue alive over the next 73 days. As you said, Joe, it's not something that has a complicated answer. We can fix it. You have introduced the legislation. Many of us have cosponsored it to fix this problem. I think the more Members of Congress and our colleagues hear from young people and their families about the real- life impact in the coming week in Rhode Island, we are going to organize an event around this and with young people and their families to really put a human face on what the consequences of the doubling of these Stafford loans would be, what the impact would be for families. If everyone does that, the voices of young people and their families have to be heard and represented in this Chamber. I really want to salute you for your extraordinary leadership and leading the charge tonight, but also being a leader in our country on this issue.

Mr. CICILLINE. I hope that what you're speaking about, kind of the young people of our country, not just the students, but the families of students who are affected--I was at a Portuguese social club recently, and a woman constituent of mine, a single mom, said, I have three children, and this question of what's going to happen to student loans and whether or not their interest rate is going to go up is important. This is an issue not just for the students but for the whole family. I'm hoping that young people and families who are affected by this issue, which are obviously millions of Americans, will reach out to their Members of Congress and be sure their voices are being heard in this discussion because, I think, that's our only hope that there be sort of a national movement. I know U.S. PIRG is helping to really bring pressure on our Speaker and on our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to take the legislative action that will correct this. The point we have to really underscore is it's not just for the student; it's for the sake of our country. Our young people are competing not just with a person in Connecticut or New York; they are competing with people all over the world in an increasingly global and competitive economy. We owe it to them to ensure that they have access to the best quality education we can provide. The interest rate doubling on their loans is clearly an impediment to that. We owe it to them, but we owe it to ourselves as a country. So I thank you again.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Courtney, I was just wondering. You talked about how the interest rate was cut in half by the prior Congress, which was obviously very important for young people and for families, and how the Stafford Act was created and named after Republicans. So this was done in a bipartisan way, which reminds me that I just finished reading a book called ``An Uncommon Man'' about Senator Pell. In fact, it recounted some of the bipartisanship that existed. I'm wondering what your sense of it is. Why was it that access to higher education seemed to enjoy bipartisan support as recently as a year or two ago when the rate was cut? Certainly the importance of higher education and access to college remains urgent and important. The economy has become more competitive, not less. So what has caused this sort of willingness of my friends on the other side of the aisle to turn their backs on young people? What do you think has changed?