Political Quotes

“It is good to be back on the House floor to pick up on an issue that concerns most every American that has gone to college, who is now in school, or beyond. I remember a day 3 weeks ago at the Calaveras County Fair. The security guard at the gate greeted me. He said: Congressman. I said: Yes. He said: I need your help. I said: What can I do for you? He said: Well, I had to go back to school to get the license and the education for this job. I now run the security program here. I will be over 70 years of age before I am able to pay off my student loan. He was probably in his early fifties at that time. I said: How can that be? He said: The interest rate is killing me. And, indeed, not only killing him, but all across this Nation, the issue of student debt is harming families, holding back the formation of families--not getting married because you have to pay off the debt, and who would want to marry that person with all that debt? I don't think so--buying houses, getting a car, carrying on in your life. Student debt is an incredible burden on the American public. And not just the students but, in many cases, the parents of students. Here is what has happened with student debt: It is now over $2.2 trillion. Probably today it is much larger than the debt on credit cards. The growth has been almost exponential. And we are continuing to see this rise. It is not over. Continuing the debt is part of America's reality.…”