For Hoosiers Keeping Pell Grants, Young’s Plan Would Have Slashed Their Award By Average of $1,600

This week, the Indiana Democratic Party will examine how Congressman Todd Young’s plans would make it harder for Hoosier students to afford a college education.

INDIANAPOLIS – Congressman Todd Young’s disastrous plan for our students would cripple the Pell Grant program by eliminating access to the college grants for 32,000 low-income Hoosier students and cutting the award by an average of $1,600 for the remaining students on the program.

In 2011, Congressman Young voted for a reckless spending plan to cut Pell Grants by $100 million – despite the fact that approximately 200,000 Hoosier students benefit from the program. But what’s worse, last year Todd Young voted for a Republican budget that would have eliminated guaranteed funding for the program.

“Congressman Young is simply out of touch if he thinks taking away Pell Grant funding from Hoosier students isn’t a big deal,” said Kegan Ferguson, student at Indiana University and President of Indiana College Democrats. “This program makes a big difference to us, and the fact that Todd Young deliberately chose to vote to cut Pell grants for 32,000 Hoosier students and slash its funding shows he cares more about his special interest backers in Washington, D.C. than the students of his home state.”

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Jasper Herald: Young “Helped To Draft” The House GOP Budget. “The House’s proposed budget, which Young helped to draft as a member of the House Budget Committee, proposes changes to those programs, such as turning the Medicaid program over to the states, which he said many governors are requesting, ‘and allowing them to find the most effective way of controlling costs.’” [Jasper Herald, 4/27/11]

• Ryan Budget Would Have Cut Pell Grants For More Than 32,612 Hoosier Students Would Have Lost Access To Pell Grants While Those Keeping Pell Grants Would Have Seen Average Cut Of More Than $1,600. According to the House Committee on Education and Labor, the Ryan Budget would have meant 32,612 Indiana students lost access to Pell Grants. Those Indiana students continuing to receive Pell Grants would have seen an average cut of $1,668. [House Committee on Education and Labor, Press Release, 4/14/11]

Young Voted To Provide Continuing Appropriations Through FY2011 For All Government Agencies, Except The Defense Department, Which Would Receive $515.8 Billion In Base Funding. In February 2011, Young voted for: “Passage of the bill that would provide continuing appropriations through fiscal 2011 for all government agencies, except the Defense Department, which would receive $515.8 billion in base funding. Most other programs would be funded at fiscal 2010 levels, less eliminations, reductions and rescissions totaling roughly $61.5 billion. The bill does not include earmarks and eliminates all previous fiscal 2010 earmark funding from continuing appropriations. As amended, the bill would eliminate funding for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter alternative engine program and prohibit any funding from being made available to Planned Parenthood and its affiliates. It also would bar the use of funds made available in the bill for a variety of executive branch regulatory activities and implementation of several provisions of the health care overhaul law.” The bill passed 235-189. [CQ, 2/19/11; H.R. 1, Vote 147, 2/19/11]

• Bill Cut $115 Million From The Pell Grants Program In Indiana, Which Would Affect More Than 200,000 Hoosier Students. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Republican spending bill cut funding for Pell Grants in Indiana by $115 million. In all, the cuts would affect about 202,000 Hoosier college students.  [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/1/11]

2015: Young Voted For The FY 2016 Conference Report Budget Resolution, Which Provided $523 Billion In Discretionary Defense Spending And Eliminated Guaranteed Funding For Pell Grants. In April 2015, Young voted for the FY 2016 Conference Report budget resolution which, according to Congressional Quarterly, “reflects the current post-sequester caps on discretionary spending – $523 billion for defense and $493.5 billion for non-defense programs in fiscal 2016. Raising the caps would require a change in law.” The vote was on the Conference Report; the Conference Report passed by a vote of 226 to 197. [House Vote 183, 4/30/15; Congressional Quarterly, 5/5/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11]

• The Plan Eliminated Guaranteed Funding For Pell Grants.“Tucked into the spending plan is the elimination of guaranteed funding for Pell Grants, which provide money for the country’s poorest students to attend college. Under the Republican plan, it would be up to Congress’ discretion to fund the program every year, leaving families vulnerable to future budget cuts.” [Washington Post, 5/7/15]

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