House Democratic Leader Pelath helps welcome President to Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath from Michigan City today issued the following statement after helping welcome President Barack Obama to Indianapolis:

“Any time you get to welcome a sitting President to your backyard is always a privilege.

“Truth be told, there are a couple of reasons to be appreciative for the President’s visit.

“First is to extend our thanks for his role in helping bring many provisions of the Affordable Care Act to Indiana through his administration’s approval of the HIP 2.0 health care program.

“The road we took to get to this point was long and tortuous at times, but the end result was the same: for many thousands of Hoosiers, affordable health care is within reach in a manner that does not mean the emergency room is their only option for treatment.

“Then we must acknowledge that his visit here is focused on making the pursuit of a college education more affordable by making it free for many students to attend a community college.

“At the beginning of this legislative session, I said state lawmakers should consider it a priority to make the price of acquiring world class skills at our institutions of higher learning more affordable and predictable.

“The years of indentured servitude to educational debts has to end. The best way to do that is by assuring Hoosiers that the price they pay when they start pursuing an adult education will remain the same until the degree is finished or the skills are earned.

“It is good to know these goals are shared at the national level, and they need to be achieved as soon as possible.”