Congressman Eric Swalwell gave the weekly Democratic address.

Transcript

HELLO. I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EDUCATION BUDGET WILL HAVE ON THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF ALL AMERICANS. IN THE HEART OF MY CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WRITE CHASED MY OWN DREAMS GROWING UP, I’M THE SON OF A FATHER WHO WAS A POLICE OFFICER AND A MOTHER WHO WORKED MULTIPLE JOBS TO RAISE FOUR BOYS. MY PARENTS’ DREAM WAS THAT OF MOST PARENTS, THAT THEIR CHILDREN DO BETTER THAN THEY DID MY PARENTS CHASED THAT DREAM ACROSS AMERICA. I LIVED IN 11 DIFFERENT HOUSES AND ATTENDED NINE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS BEFORE SETTLING HERE. I SAW THEM WORK HARD, SACRIFICE CONSTANTLY, AND SAVE REALLY BECAUSE THEY WANTED ME AND MY BROTHERS TO ATTAIN SOMETHING THEY NEVER DID, A COLLEGE EDUCATION. I ACHIEVED THAT DREAM FOR THEM AND RACKED UP A LOT OF STUDENT LOAN DEBT I STILL OWE TODAY. BUT I WENT ON TO BECOME A PROSECUTOR, A CITY COUNCILMAN FOR MY HOMETOWN, AND A CONGRESSMAN. THIS DREAM OF A BETTER LIFE FOR OUR KIDS, THROUGH EDUCATION AND HARD WORK, IS AT THE HEART OF OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY. IT’S IN OUR DNA. IT’S WHAT UNITES US AND DEFINES US NO MATTER WHO WE ARE OR WHERE WE COME FROM YET TODAY, AND ESPECIALLY WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP ‘S BUDGET, THE AMERICAN DREAM IS BECOMING FURTHER OUT OF REACH. FOR TOO MANY AMERICANS COLLEGE’S COST IS TOO PROHIBITIVE. AND FOR THOSE WHO GET TO AND THROUGH COLLEGE, THE CRUSHING BURDEN OF DEBT LEAVES MILLIONS IN FINANCIAL QUICK SAND, MAKING IT HARDER TO START A FAMILY, BUY A HOME, OR TURN A GOOD IDEA INTO A BUSINESS. THAT’S WHY TWO YEARS AGO I STARTED FUTURE FORUM, A GROUP OF 26 YOUNG HOUSE DEMOCRATS FOCUSED ON ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MILLENNIALS, AMERICA’S LARGEST, MOST DIVERSE, AND BEST EDUCATED GENERATION. WE HAVE VISITEDDED ALMOST 40 CITIES ACROSS OUR GREAT COUNTRY TO LISTEN TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHERE THEY GATHER, AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTERS, START-UP AND ESTABLISHED COMPAN IES. WE’VE LEARNED THAT THE ISSUES FACING OUR GENERATION FROM COLLEGE DEBT TO NOT HAVING ENOUGH GOOD PAYING JOBS. THEY AFFECT EVERY BRANCH OF THE FAMILY TREE. AT ONE OF OUR EVENTS WE MET WITH 200 BRILLIANT, YOUNG BIO-TECH SCIENTISTS TO MY SURPRISE, THE FIRST QUESTION CAME FROM A WOMAN IN HER 50’S. SHE SAID SHE FELT LIKE A PARTY CRASHER AT OUR MILLENNIAL LIST ENING TOUR BUT SHE TOLD US SHE HAD COME TO THE EVENT FOR HER DAUGHTER. SHE SAID HER DAUGHTER, WITH THE HELP OF LOANS, WAS THE FIRST IN THE FAMILY TO GO TO COLLEGE. AND AFTER GRADUATING, SHE TOLD US HER DAUGHTER COULDN’T FIND A JOB. AND HER DAUGHTER’S DEBT STARTED TO MOUND. HER DAUGHTER HAD TO MOVE BACK HOME. AND THE KICKER, THIS HAPPENED AT THE SAME TIME THAT HER DAUGHTER ‘S ELDERLY GRANDPARENTS WERE AILING AND HAD TO MOVE IN, TOO. TOO MANY FAMILIES LIKE HERS ARE SQUEEZED FROM BOTH ENDS. TOO MANY FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING , NOT EVEN TO GET AHEAD BUT JUST TO GET BY. SO WE PROPOSE IDEAS LIKE FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, LETTING STUDENT LOAN BORROWERS FREE FINANCE THEIR DEBT LIKE YOU CAN WITH A HOME LOAN, AND DOUBLING THE TAX DEDUCTION ON STUDENT LOAN INTERESTS. BUT AS WE STRIFE — STRIVE TO MOVE FORWARD, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EDUCATION AGENDA RAISES BARRIERS THE TRUMP BUDGET ENDS LOAN FOR GIVENESS FOR TEACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, NURSES, AND OTHERS SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES OFTEN IN LOW-PAYING JOBS. THIS BUDGET FREEZES PELL GRANTS WITHOUT INDEXING THEM FOR INFLATION, MAKING IT MUCH HARDER FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS TO GET THE AID THEY NEED. AND IT WOULD NEARLY PUT IN HALF — CUT IN HALF THE WORK STUDY PROGRAM WHICH MAKES COLLEGE MORE AFFORDABLE FOR MILLIONS OF STUDENTS WHILE GIVING THEM VALUABLE JOB EXPERIENCE. ON OUR SHORES WE HAVE SEEN THE HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE NEXT GENERATION RISING IN CLASSROOMS LIKE THIS. PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BUDGET DEFLATES THOSE DREAMS. FORTUNATELY WE INON NOT POWERLESS TO SAVE THEM. IN 1941 PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT OUTLINED FOR FREEDOM ON WHICH EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD SHOULD BE ABLE TO RELY. FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF WORSHIP, FREEDOM FROM WANT, AND FREEDOM FROM FEAR. OUR CHALLENGE IN CONGRESS NOW IS TO RESTORE A FIFTH UNIQUELY AMERICAN FREEDOM, THE FREEDOM TO DREAM. THE DREAM THAT OUR PARENTS DREAM FOR US AND THAT WE ALL DREAM FOR OUR OWN KIDS. WITH ALL OF OUR HANDS AND ALL OF OUR HEARTS, HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE COMMITTED TO EXPAND YOUR FAMILY ‘S FREEDOM TO DREAM. THANK YOU.