John Sarbanes: “Madam Speaker, the cost of college education is becoming the great separator in American society. It threatens to make…”

“Madam Speaker, the cost of college education is becoming the great separator in American society. It threatens to make access to the American Dream a matter of means and not merit. If we let that happen, then we guarantee the decline of American competitiveness and risk a slow and steady slide into mediocrity. We can do better, and today we will do better. By passing the College Student Relief Act of 2007 and cutting the interest rates on student loans, we will take an important step in providing fairness and opportunity to the next generation. I want to tell you about a woman I met in Maryland during my campaign. She is the mother of three college age students, a professional woman who works here in D.C. She came up to me, she looked me right in the eye, she said, 'I have three children who are going to college and I can't afford it.' And then she said, 'I did everything they told me I was supposed to do. I worked three jobs, my husband and I between us, we saved our money, and we told our kids if you work hard and study, you can make it in America. And now we can't afford college.' What she was saying is what millions of Americans are saying, which is we worked hard and played by the rules, and then we found out we couldn't make it. Madam Speaker, we have a chance today to begin restoring the bargain with America that so many fear is in jeopardy.”