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“It’s no surprise that the Republicans are introducing their massive tax overhaul late on a Friday because this entire process has been one secret, backroom deal after another,” said Courtney. “They want to get this bill passed before the holiday break because they need to get it done before the American people know what hit them. This bill is one gigantic gift for corporations and the wealthiest Americans in exchange for next to nothing for average middle-class and working families. Passage of this bill will create a new structural deficit that is a prelude to an assault on Social Security and Medicare, which Speaker Ryan has brazenly promised.”

“If this effort by the House Republican majority is successful, millions of American families across the country who are preparing to send their children off to college will face higher costs and fewer options for federal aid,” said Courtney. “What the PROSPER Act would do is actually close avenues of affordability for millions of Americans and radically change programs that have been a part of the fabric of our society going back to the 1960s. The Republican’s intended to quietly push this bill through a markup this week, but I joined my colleagues on the committee in sounding the alarm and attempting to undo some of the worst aspects of the bill. Unfortunately, even my bipartisan amendment to restore the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which supports firefighters, police officers, teachers, and other public workers, was defeated."

“The reckless and outrageous decision by the FCC today overturns a 2015 rule that painstakingly balanced open access to the internet and low costs for consumers with the goal of supporting investment and economic growth,” said Courtney. “There is absolutely no evidence that the rule was not working, and the only conceivable justification for the decision was fulfilling a political promise that this administration made to special interests. I look forward to working with my colleagues to reinstate the Obama-era policy of net neutrality that was working for the American people and small businesses who are the real drivers of the internet economy.”

“I want to thank Secretary Spencer for conducting this Strategic Review to complement the work of Admiral Richardson’s Comprehensive Review of Recent Surface Force Incidents that was released last month,” said Courtney. “The Secretary’s review is critical to examining the high-level, structural issues that have contributed to a degradation of our surface force readiness, and the tragedies that have occurred in the Pacific over the past 18 months.

“This is another hyper-partisan effort led by the Republican majority that will incredibly make college more expensive and close pathways for young Americans to pursue critical careers that will support our economy,” said Courtney. “If this bill were ever signed into law, it would dismantle programs designed to make college more affordable for middle-class families. One prime example of this is a provision in the bill to close-down the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that has supported students entering critical professions since its inception 10 years ago. The program allows public service workers such as teachers, police officers, rural doctors, and others to have their student loan debt forgiven after 10 years of work in their occupation. I offered a bipartisan amendment during the committee proceedings to save the PSLF program and expand it to include farmers and veteran service organizations. That effort was backed by nearly 200 organizations such as the National Fraternal Order of Police, National Young Farmers Collation, and the American Legion. Unfortunately, even with the votes of several Republican members of the committee, the amendment ultimately failed by a vote of 19-20."

“Millions of working-class families across our country rely on CHIP to provide quality health insurance for their children that they would otherwise not be able to afford,” said Courtney. “Since the CHIP program was first created it has been regularly reauthorized with strong bipartisan support from across the political spectrum. Today, I am joining nearly 100 of my colleagues in pleading with our leadership in the House and Senate to make this a priority this coverage lapses and parents are left with nowhere to turn.”