Political Quotes

“let me add my voice to those of my colleagues who have come here to plead the case for mine workers and for equity for widows, equity for people who have worked their entire lives with their hands and now have their future jeopardized by the lack of attention to this critical issue of their pensions. Student Debt Mr. President, I rise today to talk about another very important middle-class economic issue and one that we have been talking about ever since I got here; that is, the overwhelming burden of student debt. Earlier this week I spoke at Envision 2030 in Bismarck. It was a convening of academic and political leaders in my State to discuss the needs of students who will be embarking on and graduating from college in the next 15 years. Incredible amounts of time was spent on college affordability. I challenged many of the education leaders to take a look at what it is going to take to reduce costs so that students do not have to borrow so much money as they are pursuing their higher education opportunities. Like the rest of the country, North Dakota's students are getting bogged down in debt before they even graduate from college. This debt impacts their futures, their families, and their communities. I would argue that this debt is endangering the economic viability of our country. According to the Institute for College Access and Success, the average amount of student debt a person in North Dakota owes has now risen above $27,000.…”