Political Quotes

“Mr. President, we are here today because unless Congress acts, the interest rate for many of our students--over 100,000 of them in my home State of Washington--is going to double in 55 days. On July 1, the law we passed that held rates on federally subsidized Stafford loans to 3.4 percent will end, and rates are going to jump overnight to 6.8 percent. That is going to add $1,000 to the cost of loans for these young people, and it is going to be another huge strain for students and families who are already fighting to afford college and still struggling in this tough economy. This isn't an abstract issue for me. For me it is very personal. Pell grants and student loans were what allowed my six brothers and sisters and me to go to college when my dad got sick and had to leave his job. They were what made college affordable for us, and they were what allowed each one of us to pursue careers and give back to our communities. Because our government was there for us, at a very tough time for us, those seven kids in my family grew up to be a firefighter, a lawyer, a computer programmer, a sports writer, a homemaker, a middle-school teacher, and a United States Senator--a pretty good investment by our country. And our family's story is not unique. In fact, last week I went across my home State of Washington listening to student after student describe the real-life impacts this interest rate hike will have on their livelihood.…”