[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6357-6358]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATES

  (Mr. CARNAHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Yesterday was President Harry S. Truman's birthday. One 
of his quotes is particularly appropriate today. He said:

       The purpose of our society is to enable the individual to 
     attain the highest achievement of which he is capable.

  The highest achievements that have sprung from our education system 
have included harnessing the atom, claiming the high ground in space, 
and curing previously fatal diseases. But now, because of our failure 
to adequately fund education, tuition is skyrocketing. Graduates who 
wish to reach for achievement are anchored to Earth by thousands of 
dollars in debt. For us to

[[Page 6358]]

also allow interest rates to double on these student loans is morally 
unacceptable and economically foolish.
  To paraphrase President Truman: the extra bucks stop here.
  Let's stop the student loan interest rates from doubling July 1. Stop 
the political games. Let's support American students to attain their 
highest achievements.

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