Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I come to the Senate floor from time to time to share thoughts from people in my State. All of us are hearing comments from college students, people who have finished college, and often from the parents of those who face a massive debt from going to 2-year and 4-year private-public schools. This situation can sometimes be even more tragic at for-profit schools where they haven't gotten much help in their job search. It can be even more tragic if they have not finished school and still face this debt. My wife Connie Schultz graduated from Kent State University some number of years ago. Her father was a utility worker and carried a union card for more than 30 years. Her mother was a home care worker. She was the oldest of four and the first in her family to go to college. Her two younger brothers and sister also went to college. Connie graduated from Kent State University 30-some years ago with a debt of only $1,200. That so starkly illustrates the difference from today and then. She had little privilege, little money, and parents who couldn't really put much money out, but with lower tuition, Pell grants, a few scholarships, Stafford loans, and working, she was able to get through school with little debt. The stories we hear today are so different from that. I plead with my colleagues that we freeze interest rates at 3.4 percent. I know that will not solve anything close to all the problems of college tuition and costs of room and board, but it will help.…”