[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22021]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    COLLEGE LOAN INTEREST RATE CUTS

  (Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, last Tuesday, Americans voted for a new 
direction in America. Among those voting were 10 million young 
Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 who were no doubt upset by the 
soaring costs of college tuition and the rise in student loan interest 
rates put into effect by Republicans in this body.
  This year alone Republicans raised student loan interest rates by 7 
percent and cut $12 billion out of the higher education budget to pay 
for the massive tax cuts for the wealthy. These 10 million young 
voters, along with their parents and grandparents who share the growing 
financial burden of higher education, elected a Democratic majority in 
Congress because they know our party has continually stood for making a 
college education an affordable goal for all American students.
  Mr. Speaker, these families will soon see results. Within the first 
100 hours of taking office next January, Democrats will broaden college 
opportunities for all students.

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