[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 17, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATES

  (Mr. KELLER of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss student 
loan interest rates. As the ranking member on the Higher Education 
Subcommittee, I believe in higher Pell Grants, lower student loan 
interest rates, and a leveling off of tuition.
  If you ask a college student, would you rather have a 6.8 percent 
loan or a 3.4 percent loan, he will tell you 3.4 percent. If you ask 
him, would you rather have a 3.4 percent student loan that you have to 
pay back or a Pell Grant to help you go to college that you will never 
pay back, they will say Pell Grants.
  The Democrats should have taken the $6 billion in spending and 
invested it in Pell Grants to help students on the front end instead of 
only helping those college graduates on the back end.
  Education should not be a partisan issue; no one party has all the 
answers. Today, I will show a little good faith and vote for this bill. 
Tomorrow, I hope the Democrats show some good faith and listen to 
people like me when it comes to Pell Grants.

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