News · Press Release

Clinton’s Visit to Iowa Community College Contrasts with Blum’s Vote Against Pell Grants

Today, Hillary Clinton will be holding her campaign’s first event at a Kirkwood Community College campus in Monticello, Iowa. The education roundtable in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District provides a stark contrast to Congressman Blum’s vote to make college less affordable for everyday Iowa families. In his first 100 days, Blum has already cemented his place on the fringes of the Republican Party by voting to overthrow Speaker John Boehner, supporting the reckless Republican Study Committee budget, and campaigning with government shutdown architect Ted Cruz.

“Hillary Clinton’s community college visit provides a striking contrast with Congressman Blum’s vote to freeze Pell Grants for students who need help paying for school,” said DCCC Communications Director Matt Thornton. “His eagerness to side repeatedly with the fringe elements of his own party clarifies the choice confronting voters in this election.”

During the April recess, the DCCC launched a campus newspaper ad campaign targeting Blum for making it harder for students to afford college. Yesterday, the DCCC released a side-by-side comparison of Clinton’s launch video with the extreme House Republican agenda.

BACKGROUND

Pell Grants Help Community College Students Pay For Tuition, Books And Living Expenses. “The Pell Grant program enables more than three million community college students with financial need to pay for tuition, books, transportation, and living expenses.” [Association of Community College Trustees, accessed 4/13/15]

The Republican Study Committee Budget Freezes the Maximum Pell Grant. The Republican Study Committee Budget text stated the budget would maintain the “maximum Pell grant award level at $5,775 in each year of the budget window.” [Republican Study Committee Budget, accessed 3/26/15]

Pell Grant Cuts Would Could Cost Iowa Students An Estimated 8% More For College. In 2015, CQ did an analysis of the effect of freezing Pell Grants at the current level for the 10-year life of the budget. At public colleges in Iowa the maximum Pell Grant currently covers 73% of the cost of tuition, however, if Pell Grants were to freeze by 2025 only an estimated 65% of the cost of tuition would be covered. [CQ, accessed 4/14/15]

Cuts To Pell Grants Would Hit IA-01 Families Particularly Hard.  According to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Iowa’s 1st District received 22,360 Pell Grants worth more than $76 million in school year 2013-2014 – the second most of any Iowa Congressional district. [NAICU, accessed 4/13/15]





Please make sure that the form field below is filled out correctly before submitting.