[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 10414]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             STUDENT LOANS

  (Ms. KELLY of Illinois asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of 7 
million students with subsidized student loans to urge my colleagues in 
Congress to come together to prevent student loan rates from doubling 
on July 1.
  The cost of a college degree has increased by more than 1,000 percent 
in the last 30 years. Two-thirds of college seniors who graduated in 
2011 had an average student loan debt of $26,000 per borrower. As the 
July 1 deadline approaches, America's total student loan debt already 
tops $1.1 trillion.
  We're a nation that invests in our future, and that means investing 
in our kids. Mounting student debt is handicapping a generation of 
graduates who already face a tough job market. This debt is forcing 
them to put off key milestones like buying a home and starting a 
family. This delay in the American Dream will diminish our Nation's 
economic development.
  Congress has come to the aid of our banks and worked to promote 
industry. Now it's time to step up for our students by preserving 
college affordability and keeping the American Dream within reach.
  Let's stand together to keep Federal student loan rates down. I urge 
my colleagues to act now.

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