Political Quotes

“Mr. President, this month marks commencement season at our great colleges and universities across Ohio and the Nation. I have had the honor of speaking at a few this year--Owens Community College, Ashland University, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, and Ohio Northern University. It is a day of achievement and accomplishment, a reaffirmation of why education is a key to our economic prosperity. But it is also a day of anxiety. Graduates are leaving campuses to enter a difficult job market saddled with student debt. Approximately 2/3 of Ohioans who attend a private or public 4-year college or university graduate with an average of nearly $26,000 in student loan debt. Unfortunately, as student loan debt levels continue to grow, the Nation's hiring climate remains sluggish. This has led to limited employment opportunities for recent graduates; nearly half of the 2009 graduating class is currently unemployed or employed in a position that does not require a college degree. Such circumstances are leading to undue personal stress and potentially, a lifetime of financial challenges. Far too often, individuals and families are becoming part of the ``sandwich generation'' where families are paying for the cost of their children's education while also taking care of their aging parents. That is why last year I supported--and the President signed into law, the Health and Education Reconciliation Act, the single largest federal investment in student aid in generations.…”