Louie Gohmert: “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It may surprise some of my colleagues, I agree with so much of what was being said with regard…”

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It may surprise some of my colleagues, I agree with so much of what was being said with regard to the cost of education and how we need to be very sensitive to that. I was concerned about the vote we were going to cast tomorrow that would prevent the interest rates from going up to 6.8 percent as they're going to do if this body does nothing. I was very concerned about it going up to 6.8 percent, and then I understood the proposed Republican bill that we are going to take up tomorrow will not let it go up to 6.8, but I was wondering why we didn't just leave it where it is. Let's just extend it. The Democrats set in motion, when they were in the majority, this situation where it was going to raise. And, actually, it was going to raise last year, and we voted a year ago to just extend the current rate for a year. As I've had members of my own leadership and whip team pushing me on the issue of wanting me to vote for the bill tomorrow, I've been trying to find out more and more about why is this provision in there. Why are we doing this? And it's very clear. Interest rates for student loans are going to go up to 6.8 percent if we do nothing because that's the law that was put in place. Well, I said, why can't we leave it where it is?…”