In a fiery address during a House Committee on Education and Workforce markup session, Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12) denounced the Republican budget proposal for its sweeping cuts to higher education financial aid.
The plan, currently advancing through the reconciliation process, includes slashing Pell Grants, student loan forgiveness, and income-driven repayment plans—programs that Lee said were critical to her own journey from a working-class background to Congress.
“With these provisions in place throughout this bill, I would not be here,” Lee declared during her remarks.
The Democratic congresswoman, who is the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania, highlighted her lived experience as a first-generation college student raised by a single mother. She accused the bill’s drafters of crafting policies that disregard or marginalize students like her.
“So much that’s in this entire reconciliation bill targets me specifically—not me the Congressperson, me, the first-generation Black student,” Lee said. “We cannot simply say that we will take away the opportunities for students to access loans, not replace it with anything else, and still say that you will somehow figure it out.”
Lee warned that the GOP-backed provisions would disproportionately harm Black and brown students, low-income families, and first-generation Americans, while reinforcing privilege for wealthier students.
“Elite students, students who come from the 1%, will continue to be able to access education,” she said, warning that the legislation could widen existing racial and economic achievement gaps.
Budget Implications and Broader Policy Context
The Republican budget bill, part of ongoing federal deficit reduction efforts, has drawn criticism from education advocates and progressive lawmakers for undermining college affordability and student debt relief efforts enacted in recent years. The proposed cuts come as President Biden’s broader student debt cancellation plans face legal and legislative challenges.
Rep. Lee, a member of both the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce, has become a vocal advocate for equitable access to education. Since entering Congress in 2023, she has helped secure over $2.4 billion in federal funding for Western Pennsylvania—including substantial investments in infrastructure, clean energy, affordable transit, and school safety.
In addition to her legislative efforts, Lee’s office has directly assisted more than 3,000 constituents, supporting access to Medicare, Social Security, housing, immigration services, and passport processing.
What’s Next?
With the budget process ongoing, the fate of the proposed education cuts remains uncertain. Democrats have vowed to fight the rollback of student aid programs, which they argue are essential for ensuring access to opportunity.
Footage of Rep. Lee’s full remarks is available here.
