DELAURO: FALSE CHOICES AND HYPOCRISY ON STUDENT LOANS

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member on the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, made the following statement on the Majority’s bill to offset a one year freeze on interest rates for federally subsidized Stafford loans with elimination of the Prevention and Public Health Fund. “The Republican majority in this House is involved in a political shell game on this issue. They have voted to eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Today they want to tell you they are going to take money from it to pay for student loans. You can’t end a fund and then talk about taking money from it. The majority passed a budget that has asked families to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans by, among other things, slashing Pell Grants for nearly 10 million college students, and allowing interest rates on student loans to double in July. After there was an outpouring of concern about the doubling of interest rates, they switched course. This apparent moment of conscience was too good to be true. Instead of ending oil subsidies and closing corporate tax loopholes to offset the cost, what they have now done is eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund. What that fund does is provide crucial health services to all Americans, including women and children. For women, this fund provides screenings for breast and cervical cancer. My friends, 4,000 women die every year from cervical cancer. Isn’t it worth trying to prevent cervical cancer? It works to prevent coronary heart disease, the leading killer of women in America. It has the potential to mitigate osteoporosis, arthritis, and mental illness, all conditions which disproportionately affect the women in this nation. This fund is about the giving of life. There is a level of hypocrisy on this floor that is staggering. Instead of taking the money from health care for education, I voted against this bill.”