Statements For the Record

Mr. Speaker, I am deeply disappointed that I must rise in opposition to H.R. 1960, the FY14 Defense Authorization Act. America’s men and women in uniform deserve, and Congress must pass, legislation that provides them with the resources they need to preserve our national security.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to a bad bill that increases the cost of financing a higher education and adds to the burden of debt for students and their parents. Without quick Congressional action, the interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans will climb from 3.4% to 6.8% in July for all new loans.

MS. McCOLLUM: Mr. Speaker, I had the honor of serving as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for eight years prior to being elected to Congress in 2000. One of my Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party colleagues from Minneapolis, State Rep. Karen Clark, was a constant and vocal champion for social justice, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and human rights.

Mr. Speaker, the House Agriculture Committee will vote today on a Farm Bill that cuts $20 billion from nutrition support from the poorest, most vulnerable Americans – children, seniors, the disabled, and the working poor.

May 8, 2013

MS. McCOLLUM: Mister Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R.1406 – a bill more appropriately titled the ‘More Work, Less Pay Act’.

Mr. Speaker, Congress should never have passed sequestration. These reckless cuts are affecting families and communities throughout our nation, including those in Indian Country. Yet, when sequestration passed no one thought about how it would disproportionately impact tribal communities.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. I join you in welcoming Assistant Secretary Washburn and our other witnesses to the subcommittee this morning.

Education is the cornerstone of the foundation on which we build our future. And, Native American parents, like parents all across this nation, look to a good education as an investment in a better future for their children.