Political Quotes

“I rise to congratulate all of these people who worked so hard on immigration reform. I think it was a tremendous success for this Senate to address an issue that has long been outstanding in this country and to come to a resolution that received such strong bipartisan support. Despite that success one of the things we were not able to do is address what is going to happen with student loans which, without any action by Congress, we know that subsidized direct student loans will increase on July 1 from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. There are a number of proposals currently on the table. There are negotiations underway, and I think all of that is positive. As we think about the challenge our young people face, it is important we think about getting rid of obstacles that prevent them from going on to college and from getting degrees in higher education. Last month I had the privilege to speak at the commencement ceremony at Keene State College, one of New Hampshire's great public colleges. The students were celebrating their graduation. They were eager to put their education to work and find meaningful employment. Their optimism, their sense of hope, and their enthusiasm to make a difference was palpable. As I looked out across the audience that afternoon, I knew that a number of those students, probably up to 66 percent, according to national statistics, had borrowed money to get their degree.…”