Political Quotes

“I rise to talk about an issue that impacts tens of millions of people across the country and hangs over our entire economy, and that is student debt. Borrowers have accumulated over $1.2 trillion in student debt. Think about that for a minute. That is more than people owe on their credit cards. Talk about a drag for not only the individual, for their family, but for the entire economy. Students in my home State of Michigan are among the most heavily indebted in the country when they graduate. Frankly, we want them to get degrees, not debt, when they graduate. Nearly two-thirds of students in Michigan who graduated in 2012 had student loan debt, with each student averaging nearly $29,000. So they walk outside the door--congratulations--take off the cap and gown and get a $29,000 bill. This growing mountain of debt represents a threat to our economy and to the dreams of millions of Americans. Today too many people are saddled with decades of debt just because they want a fair shot to go to college and to get ahead in life. Instead of saving for a house, buying a car or just buying gas or groceries, millions of people are simply paying student loan payments month after month, year after year, decade after decade. I hear from many of my constituents about how they are being crushed by the burden of student debt. I have seen it in my own extended family. They write about having $50,000 or $100,000 of debt.…”