U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today issued the following statement on the Deficit Reduction Act, which President Bush signed into law today.

"I thank the President and Congress for providing more aid for low income students and recognizing the importance of rigorous high school programs to help prepare students for our increasingly competitive economy. By including two new grant programs in the Deficit Reduction Act, we will build upon the President's historic support for the Pell Grant program which opens the doors of educational opportunity for low-income students. The Academic Competitiveness Grant and the National SMART Grant programs will reward high achieving students who take challenging academic course work in high school and encourage more students to go into fields that increase America's security and continue our fine tradition of innovation.

I want to commend Chairman Enzi's and Chairman Boehner's unwavering commitment to ensuring that low-income students receive increased benefits and access to the education they deserve.

In addition, I greatly appreciate Majority Leader Frist's commitment to improving our global competitiveness by increasing the math and science skills of college graduates. This action by the Congress will not only help those who are financially disadvantaged obtain a higher education, but also prepare our students for the challenges of a changing world."

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