Campus Progress Statement: Pell Grants Must Not Become Collateral Damage in Debt Talks

WASHINGTON, DC– Campus Progress, the youth outreach arm of the Center for American Progress, released the following statement from Policy and Advocacy Manager Angela Peoples in response to Pell grants being put on the chopping block in the current debt negotiations:

“With debt ceiling talks coming down to the wire, some in Congress are content to cut vital programs like the Pell grant and Medicare in order to avoid raising taxes for the wealthiest Americans. This kind of political “strategy” is not only morally reprehensible, it will be ruinous for our economy. A decade of increased tax cuts for the super-rich and bail outs for corporations is what got us into this mess in the first place. If our country is to emerge from this economic downturn, we must continue to invest in the young people who are poised to become valuable members of the workforce. By enabling over 10 million young people to attend college each year, the Pell grant is critical to this process.

With the income gap between the wealthiest and poorest Americans at a historical high, we need to seriously reevaluate our priorities. As an organization that works on behalf of young people across the country, we are calling on Congress to protect vital programs like the Pell grant and to do what is right for the future of our country as a whole – not just the most privileged among us.”

For more information on Campus Progress’ work on affordable education and saving the Pell grant, please visit: http://campusprogress.org/home/category/affordable_education/

To speak to Angela Peoples, please contact Katie Andriulli at (202) 481-8238 or kandriulli@americanprogress.org.