[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11199]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             STUDENT LOANS

  (Mr. NOLAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, it's time that the Congress get to work and 
stop this doubling of the interest rates on our student loans.
  I'd like to take this moment to remind my colleagues here in the 
House that our generation was able to graduate from universities and 
enjoy great success for the most part debt free because college costs 
were less and we were able to get a combination of grants and 
scholarships.
  What we're doing to today's generation is unforgivable; it's 
unconscionable. They're expected to graduate with $30,000 in debt, on 
average. We were able to start building families and homes and 
businesses and buy cars. Our generation that we're handing over to is 
expected to pay loans. We just simply cannot allow this to happen. It's 
not right.
  We all have an obligation to pay forward. This country has been so 
good to our generation; it's time for us to pay back. Let's step up, 
get to work, and stop this increase from taking place.
  And last, but not least, let's put it in perspective. For what we 
spent on the war in Iraq, $1 trillion, we could have sent an entire 
generation of young men and women through college and let them graduate 
debt free.
  Let's get our priorities in order, Mr. Speaker.

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