Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the same legislation, and I appreciate the work of Senator Murray and Senator Klobuchar. I introduced this legislation with Senator Harkin of Iowa and Senator Reed of Rhode Island, and in the last couple of weeks I have been to the Cayuga County Community College, a community college in Cleveland, Ohio State University, Wright State University near Dayton, and the University of Cincinnati. There were student bodies, student government people in both political parties there. There is virtually universal support among students for this legislation. We have no business letting the interest rate double. The vote that will take place in less than 1 hour gives us an opportunity to help students in a huge way. The average Ohio graduate of a 4-year university has a $27,000 student debt. If we are going to pile more money on that debt by allowing the interest rate to go from 3.4 to 6.8 percent, it means that student is less likely to be able to buy a house, less likely to probably start a family, and less likely to be able to start a business. It saps wealth from our community. If we can keep this interest rate at 3.4 percent, it will pay dividends much more than the cost of this. I would close by saying this was a bipartisan arrangement. Back in 2007, when Senator Klobuchar and I were in our first year in the Senate, President Bush signed legislation brought forward and passed by a Democratic Senate and a Democratic House, with Republican support.…”