Political Quotes

“over this past week I had the opportunity to visit with many students, many faculty and staff of our colleges, both private and public, all around the State of Connecticut. I know the Presiding Officer has led very strongly in this effort. What I found is that students and teachers of Connecticut and around the country absolutely understand how destructive and lastingly harmful this doubling of interest rates will be for people of all ages in America. Never before has higher education meant more to earning potential and employment, now and in the future. Never before have the faculty, staff, and students of America been more united in their understanding of how critical higher education is--not only to them but to our economy. Our students are the ones who will buy homes, build families, start businesses, and contribute to our economy. They will do more to give back and contribute if they have the great advantages of higher education spared from the financially crippling debt that threatens them now. In fact, financially crippling debt is a reality for more than 73,000 people who owe an average of $29,000 in Connecticut alone. That debt is a burden for our entire economy as much or more as it is for those individuals. So there is a strong societal and national interest in this issue. I didn't need to tell the students of Connecticut what the consequences are of doubling the interest rates, and I didn't need to tell them what it would mean for their future.…”