WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized new rules authorizing Medicare to reimburse physicians for holding conversations with their patients about end-of-life care preferences.
“CMS’ new rule is an important step forward towards encouraging more Americans to make proactive choices about their medical care and empowering individuals to spend their final days and hours on their own terms,” said Senator Coons. “These conversations between physicians and patients are extremely important, even though they are difficult. That’s why I’m working on bipartisan legislation with a broad coalition of palliative and end-of-life care experts and religious organizations to incentivize Americans to have these conversations by reimbursing Medicare beneficiaries to create an advance care directive. I look forward to introducing this legislation soon and continuing to work with my colleagues to make sure every American has the opportunity to make their own decisions about their medical care.”
WASHINGTON – Immediately following the announcement that U.S. Special Operation forces will be deployed to Syria to advise and assist rebel forces combatting ISIS, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined MSNBC to discuss the new development and U.S. policy in Syria and the Middle East.
Excerpts from the interview beow:
“This is a moment where it is more important than ever for the administration to continue to engage closely with Congress. We haven’t authorized this war that is more than a year old.”
“It is a challenge in this very sharply divided, very partisan Congress to come together to authorize the use of force, but I think we need to, and I think today’s announcement makes that more important than ever.”
WASHINGTON – In a letter to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-DE) joined nine U.S. Senators to commend the recent actions by the Department of Defense to enforce its Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Phoenix in order to protect service members and taxpayers. Earlier this month, after its own investigation into allegations raised by Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, the Defense Department placed the University of Phoenix on probation and prohibited the company from enrolling new service members using the voluntary military education programs – Tuition Assistance for service members and MyCAA for their spouses.
The letter was also signed by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Al Franken (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
“We encourage you to remain steadfast in your protection of service members and veterans despite the political pressure to turn a blind eye. We cannot afford to put the future of one more service member or spouse or one additional taxpayer dollar at risk when it comes to [the University of Phoenix],” the Senators wrote.
“The company is the fourth largest recipient of DOD TA dollars and the largest recipient of Department of Veterans Affairs Post 9/11 GI Bill funds,” they continued. “Meanwhile, its students hold more cumulative debt than any other school in the country. Only one in five of students in University of Phoenix’s online programs, those heavily used by service members and veterans, actually graduate. Of University of Phoenix’s class of 2009, nearly one in two students had defaulted by 2014.”
Yesterday, more than thirty veterans and student groups sent a letter to Secretary Carter applauding his decision to withhold the University of Phoenix’s participation in the Defense Department’s voluntary military education programs.
Text of today’s letter is below and can be accessed HERE.
Dear Secretary Carter:
We appreciate the Department of Defense’s (DOD) recent actions to enforce its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Phoenix (UoP) and to protect service members and taxpayers. We urge sustained enforcement action against the University of Phoenix.
The Tuition Assistance (TA) Program plays a critical role in strengthening our military readiness and offering professional development opportunities to the men and women who serve. It is of vital importance that the Department safeguard this program by rigorously enforcing its MOUs with institutions of higher education. There is no question that the Department of Defense has a responsibility to take appropriate action against those who violate rules and regulations related to Voluntary Military Education programs.
On October 7, the Department placed University of Phoenix on probation and prohibited the company from enrolling new DOD Tuition Assistance (TA) and MyCAA beneficiaries. The company was also barred from accessing military bases. In its decision, the Department partially cited noncompliance with its MOU due to violations revealed by its own review and first brought to light in an investigation published in June by the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR).
The CIR investigation revealed that the company flouts rules meant to prohibit aggressive recruiting on military bases. To do so, UoP employs a concerted strategy to use its sponsorship of hundreds of events on military bases across the country to recruit service members to its programs, even tracking its success at signing up service members at these events. At Fort Campbell, alone, UoP has spent $250,000 to sponsor 89 events over the past three years. In one case, the company spent $25,000 to sponsor a concert at Fort Campbell headlined by reality TV star “Big Smo” which featured a giant University of Phoenix banner. Before the concert, the company gave away computer tablets to soldiers. Other events included rock concerts, Super Bowl parties, father-daughter dances, Easter egg hunts, a chocolate festival, and even “Brunch with Santa.”
According to the report, the company also paid to have its staff serve as the exclusive resume advisors in Hiring Our Heroes job fairs and workshops, many on military bases. A CIR hidden camera documented that all of the resume workshop materials, presentation slides, and sample “successful” resumes were labeled with University of Phoenix marketing, and trainers urged attendees to go to the University of Phoenix website for additional information.
In addition, the CIR investigation highlighted the University of Phoenix’s violation of Department of Defense policies regarding use of DOD official seals and other trademark insignia through the company’s distribution, without permission, of mock military challenge coins carrying the official seals of the Department of Defense and every branch of service alongside its company logo.
In its decision to take action against UoP, the Department also cited ongoing investigations by the Federal Trade Commission and the California Attorney General. In fact, the company faces two separate investigations by the Federal Trade Commission – one related to deceptive marketing and advertising and a second just announced related to safeguarding student and staff personal information. The University of Phoenix also faces investigations by at least three state Attorneys General, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Department of Education Inspector General. This broad and ongoing regulatory scrutiny of the company gives DOD legitimate cause for concern when it comes to the University of Phoenix’s future participation in Voluntary Military Education programs. This, along with DOD’s own findings of noncompliance, should be more than enough to continue enforcement action against the University of Phoenix beyond its current probationary status.
But what’s more, this is a company that too often doesn’t do right by the students, servicemembers, and veterans that it claims to serve. According to Paul Reickhoff of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the University of Phoenix “is constantly reported as the single worst by far” when it comes to for-profit colleges taking advantage of IAVA members. The company is the fourth largest recipient of DOD TA dollars and the largest recipient of Department of Veterans Affairs Post 9/11 GI Bill funds. Meanwhile, its students hold more cumulative debt than any other school in the country. Only one in five of students in University of Phoenix’s online programs, those heavily used by service members and veterans, actually graduate. Of University of Phoenix’s class of 2009, nearly one in two students had defaulted by 2014.
We encourage you to remain steadfast in your protection of service members and veterans despite the political pressure to turn a blind eye. We cannot afford to put the future of one more service member or spouse or one additional taxpayer dollar at risk when it comes to this company.
Thank you for your strong commitment to our service members and taxpayers. We look forward to your response.
WASHINGTON – Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined a bipartisan letter sent by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Robert Casey (D-Pa.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and cosigned by a majority of the Senate, to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Harry Reid urging them to take up and pass legislation to reauthorize the Perkins Loan Program. This critical lifeline for many low-income students expired on September 30, despite receiving a unanimous one-year, no-cost extension from the House of Representatives on September 28. Since its expiration, a bipartisan coalition of Senators have twice attempted to reauthorize the program with a “unanimous consent” request, but the Senate has yet to pass the bill.
The Perkins Loan Program, the nation’s older federal student loan program, has existed with broad bipartisan support since 1958 and has provided more than $28 billion in loans through almost 26 million awards to students in all 50 states. In the last academic year alone, the program lent $1.1 billion to more than half a million students with financial need across more than 1,500 institutions of higher education.
“There are many students who will be disadvantaged by the Senate’s inaction and the program’s expiration,” the Senators wrote. “For example, students who have previously received Perkins loans will lose their eligibility if they change institutions or academic programs. In addition, if the program is not reauthorized soon, students seeking Perkins loans for the upcoming winter and spring semesters in 2016 may be ineligible.”
The letter was also signed by: Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Oregon), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Gary C. Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), M. Michael Rounds (R-S.D.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
The full text of the letter is below and a pdf can be found here.
Dear Leader McConnell and Leader Reid:
On October 1, the authorization of the Perkins Loan Program, the nation’s oldest federal student loan program and a critical lifeline for many low-income students, expired. While our colleagues in the House of Representatives unanimously approved a one-year, no-cost extension of the program through the Higher Education Extension Act (H.R. 3594), the Senate has yet to advance that measure. As a result, thousands of current and future students face uncertainty and hundreds of institutions are struggling to find another way to help their neediest students afford their education. We write to express our strong support for the Perkins Loan Program and to request that the Senate take up and pass the Higher Education Extension Act as soon as possible.
The Perkins Loan Program has existed with broad bipartisan support since 1958 and has provided more than $28 billion in loans through almost 26 million awards to students in all 50 states. In the last academic year alone, the program lent $1.1 billion to more than half a million students with financial need across more than 1,500 institutions of higher education.
The Perkins Loan Program disburses financial aid to students through a campus-based revolving fund that leverages federal dollars with significant institutional investment. Colleges and universities have continued to participate in this self-sustaining program despite a lapse in federal appropriations for nearly a decade. The required institutional capital contribution gives colleges and universities “skin in the game,” and the loan payments from graduates are used to make new loans to other students. As a campus-based program, Perkins also enables these institutions to provide targeted support to the students they know have the greatest financial need. That is why it is broadly supported by higher education groups, including the Association of American Universities, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the American Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators, the Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations, the American Council on Education and many others, as well as dozens of individual colleges and universities across the country.
There are many students who will be disadvantaged by the Senate’s inaction and the program’s expiration. For example, students who have previously received Perkins loans will lose their eligibility if they change institutions or academic programs. In addition, if the program is not reauthorized soon, students seeking Perkins loans for the upcoming winter and spring semesters in 2016 may be ineligible. All future students will be ineligible for this vital program, which helps fill the gaps between what is available through the Direct Loan Program and a family’s ability to pay. On average, this is $2,000 in financial aid. As many as 150,000 current freshmen will lose access to these loans in the next academic year.
Many Senators have proposals aimed at making our various federal student aid programs work better for students, parents, and institutions. We look forward to discussing and debating ways to improve these important federal supports for higher education during this congress. In the meantime, we should immediately take up and pass the House-passed extension to provide certainty to students and ensure that this important source of student financial assistance is not interrupted.
Immediately taking up the House-passed extension bill is a simple solution that can provide clarity in the near term to students and the colleges and universities that serve them without any cost to the federal government. The Congressional Budget Office concluded that this one-year extension would incur no new costs to the federal government because it includes limitations on the length of student participation in the program. The House has already acted unanimously to extend the Perkins Loan Program for one year. We urge you to take up and pass the Higher Education Extension Act without delay.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) was interviewed by Delaware Public Media about the two-year budget deal agreed to by the President and leaders in the House and Senate. The House and Senate are expected to vote on the deal over the next week. You can listen to audio of the interview here: http://delawarepublic.org/post/sen-coons-sees-budget-deal-positive-step#stream/0.
Sen. Coons sees budget deal as positive step
By Tom Bryne
Delaware’s junior senator Chris Coons is cautiously optimistic about a two-year budget deal Congress appears prepared to pass this week.
The deal would take the debt ceiling debate off the table until March 2017. It would also add about $80 billion in spending split between military and domestic programs, while offsetting that spending with cuts and new revenue elsewhere.
Coons, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, says the deal sends a positive message.
“I think this is a significant lift to our economy and helping the people of the United States see that it is still possible for Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate to work together,” Coons said in an interview with Delaware Public Media Wednesday. “After five years of manufactured crises, needless fiscal cliffs, pointless government shutdowns, I am encouraged that the President and the Republican leadership of the Congress have been able to cobble together both a two year debt ceiling extension and more that 80 million dollars in sequester relief.”
Coons adds it’s unlikely the deal would have gotten done without the impending departure of House Speaker John Boehner.
“I think Speaker Boehner is the sort of sacrificial lamb to the Freedom Caucus and the Tea Party in the House,” said Coons. “The end of his speakership makes it possible for him to bring to the floor a debt ceiling raise that will pass with a majority of Democrats.”
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees will determine exactly where that $80 billion will be used – and need to do so by mid-December to avert at government shutdown. Coons, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, says he expects a tough debate, but is optimistic.
“I choose to be hopeful given the positive atmosphere that’s been created by the movement here on the debt ceiling. And I choose to be optimistic given the number of bipartisan bills that we have been working on with Republicans in the last few months,” said Coons. “But there’s still the devil in the details.”
As those details are hammered out, Coons says he and other Democrats will seek to invest more in medical research, transportation and infrastructure, higher education and some areas of defense. But he says there’s also concern that Republican policy riders seeking to repeal Dodd-Frank consumer protections or defund Planned Parenthood could derail the process.
Coons also lauds portions of the deal that prevent some averting Medicare part B premium increases next year and a looming 20 percent across-the-board cut to social security disability insurance benefits.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after a majority in the House of Representatives, comprised of both Democrats and Republicans, successfully filed a discharge petition and forced a vote to reauthorize the Export-Import bank. Final passage in the House is expected today. If passed in the House, the reauthorization bill would then head to the Senate.
“I applaud the efforts of Republicans and Democrats who have worked together in the House of Representatives to finally move reauthorization of the Export Import Bank forward,” said Senator Coons. “A clear, bipartisan majority of Senators also supports reauthorization of EXIM, so Leader McConnell should put aside his personal opposition and bring it to the floor immediately. There is no shortage of evidence that EXIM strengthens our economy by supporting jobs and giving U.S. companies the tools they need to compete globally. Each day Congress fails to reauthorize EXIM, we needlessly continue to put American jobs and American businesses at risk. It’s time to re-open EXIM and put American jobs ahead of politics.”
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Coons (D-Del.) and 120 of his congressional colleagues today sent a letter to Acting Commissioner of Social Security Carolyn W. Colvin and Attorney General Loretta Lynch to make sure that the Supreme Court’s landmark marriage decisions are implemented and that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is treating all marriages equally. The letter urges SSA not to penalize married same-sex couples who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) overpayments due to SSA’s delayed implementation of the law following the Supreme Court’s Windsor decision.
“We are concerned to hear that, for some time after the Supreme Court’s Windsor decision, SSA continued to issue benefits to Supplemental Security Income recipients in same-sex marriages as though these individuals were single, and that for some SSI recipients, SSA is still doing so,” the members of Congress wrote. “SSA should not penalize people who are poor, elderly or disabled because SSA continued issuing benefits to these married individuals as though they were single. According to SSA’s statute and regulations, SSA shall avoid penalizing an individual for overpayment if the individual is without fault and if recovery of the overpayment would be against equity and good conscience.”
“(W)e urge SSA to issue a blanket waiver for recovery of overpayment for all of these individuals automatically – especially since SSA’s inability to update its systems resulted in SSA’s continuing to apply Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act long after the Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional,” the letter states.
The members ask SSA to respond with information about how the agency is identifying affected SSI recipients and its efforts to update its systems so that benefits are administered fairly to all individuals.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) expressed profound concern in a letter to Secretary John Kerry about the October 11th Iranian ballistic missile test.
In the letter, the Senators write: “We are writing to express our profound concern about Iran’s October 11 ballistic missile test…We urge you to consider unilateral and multilateral responses to this ballistic missile test. We believe calibrated pressure on Iran is appropriate due to its clear non-compliance with UNSCR 1929 and to deter future violations.”
The letter appears below.
October 21, 2015
Dear Secretary Kerry:
We are writing to express our profound concern about Iran’s October 11 ballistic missile test.
United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power clearly stated that Iran’s test was a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929 which specifically states that “Iran shall not undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology.”
We are concerned about the military significance of this test, which is part of a long-term Iranian program that seeks to improve the range and capabilities of its ballistic missiles. We are also convinced that the launch is an attempt to test the world’s will to respond to Iranian violations of its international commitments.
We strongly believe that the ability of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to prevent Iran from fulfilling its nuclear ambitions must be fortified by a zero-tolerance policy to respond to violations of the agreement and of applicable UN resolutions – and a unified plan of action between the United States and our European allies about what specific responses should be deployed to respond to incremental violations.
There must be no ambiguity in our willingness to enforce Iran’s obligations under UN resolutions and the JCPOA.
We urge you to consider unilateral and multilateral responses to this ballistic missile test. We believe calibrated pressure on Iran is appropriate due to its clear non-compliance with UNSCR 1929 and to deter future violations.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) yesterday co-hosted a bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus briefing on fostering partnerships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve with Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). Senators Coons and Blunt launched the bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus to highlight ways in which the federal government can better assist agencies at the state and local levels, and help circulate proven best practices in administering law programs.
“It is absolutely essential that there be a sustained and positive relationship between the communities that police try to protect and serve, and between police organizations,” Senator Coons said at yesterday’s event. “Community police relations are not simple. There is no one, easy solution. But as you will hear from our impressive panelists today it is important for us to keep at it, to keep learning, to keep examining what have been positive and successful models, and to keep challenging ourselves to do better, to do right by the communities that we all represent.”
Senator Coons has been a staunch advocate in the Senate for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program (JAG) and other federal programs that provide resources and support to law enforcement at the local level. JAG is the leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, providing Delaware and states across the country with critical resources for law enforcement and crime prevention programs.
Panelists at today’s event included Executive Director Christian Kervick of the Delaware Criminal Justice Council in Wilmington, Delaware. He highlighted Delaware’s community-policing programs, including the West Rehoboth New Beginnings program that partners community centers in minority neighborhoods with Delaware State Troopers and the Wilmington Police Citizens Advisory Program that creates a forum for community leaders to address concerns between members of the community and law enforcement. The other panelists at today’s event were Mayor Sly James of Kansas City, Missouri, and County Prosecutor Jeans Peters Baker from Jackson County, Missouri, who discussed community-policing initiatives taking place in Kansas City.
Senator Coons’ opening remarks are below:
“Thank you for your persistence, your enthusiasm, and your commitment to making this Law Enforcement Caucus a success. It’s something that produces positive, regular, meaningful programing – there are lots of caucuses in the House and Senate, most literally never meet and most of them do relatively little. But this is a caucus, since we formed it together, that’s been dedicated, with the support of lots of different organizations from around the country, and with the blessing of lots of talented folks who have come and taken up their time to share their experience, that I think we have actually moved forward the national conversation. So Roy, thank you, you’ve been a wonderful partner, and I’m excited to continue our work this year and next year, and many years into the future. Thank you very much.
“Roy has been a real leader in improving and strengthening community-policing and community police relations in his home state of Missouri. And my home state of Delaware has also known some of the challenges – it is absolutely essential that there be a sustained and positive relationship between the communities that police try to protect and serve and between police organizations. We’ve seen in some very tragic incidents around the country, ways that trust can fray, and can even come apart. Cities like Wilmington and cities in Kansas City and that area have been working hard to address these challenges and problems.
“It’s got to be a collaborative effort, it’s got to be an effort where elected leaders, faith leaders, community leaders, prosecutors, law enforcement are working together, listening to each other in a balanced and thoughtful way. I know that we are going to hear from some of the programs that have been successful in the Kansas City community.
“I’m also very proud of recent efforts by the Violence Reduction Network, which has had a real positive impact in Wilmington, Delaware, including the recent Blue Courage training initiative. We have a number of other municipalities in the state of Delaware — Dover and others that are also struggling with the same issues. But we are a state that really has one sizable municipality, size for our scale – 75,000 people is a really big city for the state of Delaware.
“Look, community police relations are not simple. There is no one, easy solution. But as you will hear from our impressive panelists today it is important for us to keep at it, to keep learning, to keep examining what have been positive and successful models, and to keep challenging ourselves to do better, to do right by the communities that we all represent.”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) yesterday spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to reauthorize the Federal Perkins Loan Program. Since Perkins loans were created 57 years ago, the program has awarded nearly $30 billion through 26 million loans across the United States. Over 500,000 students, including nearly 2,000 Delawareans, received Perkins loans during the 2013-2014 school year. The program expired on September 30th because of Congressional inaction.
Excerpts from Senator Coons’ remarks:
“Our colleagues have failed to hear from thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of our home state constituents who rely on federal Perkins loans. This program is a critical lifeline for students across the country who would be well on their way to a college degree if it weren’t for the skyrocketing, unsustainable costs of higher education.”
“Congress’ failure to reauthorize the Perkins Loan Program is already having a negative impact on students and households across the country.”
“Let me give you two examples of Delawareans who’ve recently reached out to me. Frank, an incoming University of Delaware student, was counting on the Perkins Loan Program to help cover a gap in affording the cost of his higher education. But now that those funds are no longer available, now that the Perkins loans have expired, his family is struggling to figure out how they will pay for his education.
“There’s also Taylor, a Delawarean, already a college student, who signed up for a promising new course of study because of a Perkins loan that made the additional cost possible. Without this funding moving forward, future students, like Taylor, will have to turn to private loans, sometimes less accessible, sometimes less affordable, to fill that gap.
“When I’m with working Delawareans, there is no topic raised more frequently amongst those in my age bracket than how they can afford to send their kids to college.”
“In my state of Delaware, nearly 2,000 Delawareans last year received Perkins loans, 2013 to 2014. That’s 2,000 of my constituents who had the chance to go to college, invest in their education, improve their lives for the better – and that’s in just one year of the program.”
Senator Coons’ full remarks:
“I stand today to join in the voices we’ve already heard from Senator Murphy of Connecticut and from Senator Portman from Ohio – bipartisan, a chorus that has stood in support of Senator Baldwin’s request, unanimous consent request blocked by the opposing party that we move forward with reauthorizing the Perkins Loan Program.
“The voice that I think is so often missing from the deliberations here in the Senate is the voice we just heard brought forward by Senator Murphy of Connecticut, the voice of our constituents. The constituents who connect with us when we are home in our states, the constituents that reach out to us by email, by letter. I just wanted to add the voices of my constituents from the state of Delaware.
“Apparently, Mr. President, our colleagues have failed to hear from thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of our home state constituents who rely on federal Perkins loans. This program is a critical lifeline for students across the country who would be well on their way to a college degree if it weren’t for the skyrocketing, unsustainable costs of higher education.
“I think Congress’ failure to reauthorize the Perkins Loan Program is already having a negative impact on students and households across the country. We can see the real world impact in our home states if we would but listen to our constituents.
“Let me give you two examples of Delawareans who’ve recently reached out to me. Frank, an incoming University of Delaware student, was counting on the Perkins Loan Program to help cover a gap in affording the cost of his higher education. But now that those funds are no longer available, now that the Perkins loans have expired, his family is struggling to figure out how they will pay for his education.
“There’s also Taylor, a Delawarean, already a college student, who signed up for a promising new course of study because of a Perkins loan that made the additional cost possible. Without this funding moving forward, future students, like Taylor, will have to turn to private loans, sometimes less accessible, sometimes less affordable, to fill that gap.
“Frank’s and Taylor’s stories are just a few examples of many that I’ve received in my office from constituents or in conversations I’ve had at home in Delaware. When I’m with working Delawareans, there is no topic raised more frequently amongst those in my age bracket than how they can afford to send their kids to college. Just the other night, standing around on the sideline of a soccer game, I heard a whole group talking about how can we possibly afford the skyrocketing expenses of higher education.
“So the question we’re here today to address isn’t the great big question of how can we make college affordable, it’s just the simple question of how can we extend the Perkins Loan Program. So I’m proud to join with my colleagues in calling for a permanent extension of this program.
“In my state of Delaware, nearly 2,000 Delawareans last year received Perkins loans, 2013 to 2014. That’s 2,000 of my constituents who had the chance to go to college, invest in their education, improve their lives for the better – and that’s in just one year of the program. In the 50 years since Perkins’ was created, the program has awarded nearly $30 billion through 26 million loans across this entire country.
“Those are big, abstract numbers. But for my colleagues who remain undecided on whether to support an extension, I urge them to think about the Franks, the Taylors, their constituents, folks from towns and cities big and small all across this country. They’re not asking for a free education. The average Perkins loan is just $2,000 – it’s not even a rounding error in the scope of the total federal budget that we fight over here week in and week out, but that’s an amount that for one student, one family, can singlehandedly determine whether an aspiring teacher or a business owner or an inventor or someone who wants to go into a professional career, or someone who just wants to advance themselves through education can continue their steady forward progress.
“This extension alone, it is not the Higher Education Act reauthorization that many of us have been calling for. It is not the substantial education investment that many of us know would be a huge boost to our country, its competitiveness, and our constituents’ well-being. It is not a perfect solution to the Delawareans who I speak with every day who wonder how they can afford college.
“But it’s a start. It’s an important start. So Mr. President, colleagues, let’s come together and act. Even the House of Representatives – of all places – has acted on a bipartisan basis to extend the Perkins Loan Programs. We can and should do the same.
“I want to thank my colleagues for their work on this critical issue, and urge this chamber to come together and approve an extension of the Federal Perkins Loan Program without delay.”