[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10634]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           STUDENT LOAN RATES

  (Mr. BARBER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. BARBER. I am deeply discouraged that as we face the impending 
doubling of interest rates for student loans that House leadership will 
send us home tomorrow without a solution.
  More than 7 million students, former students and their families in 
the United States, including more than 450,000 in my home State of 
Arizona, rely on these loans to help pay for college. Federal student 
loans are a critical tool for ensuring that educational opportunities 
remain open to as many Americans as possible.
  Higher education is a critical economic engine for my State and for 
the Nation. Workers age 25 and older, with a bachelor's degree, we 
know, earn 63 percent more than those with a high school diploma. These 
differences will only increase as the world economy becomes more 
competitive and technologically advanced.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stay here, not go 
home tomorrow, but stay here and work together to prevent student loan 
interest rates from doubling in 4 days. D-day is July 1, and we must 
act now to support the aspiring young Americans to get their college 
educations.

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