[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9767]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    CRISIS PLAGUING NEXT GENERATION

  (Mr. YODER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis plaguing our country's next 
generation. Today, the unemployment rate for 18- to 29-year-olds is 
nearly 16 percent, more than double the general rate.
  Furthermore, the increasing cost and skyrocketing tuition rates for 
those wanting to get a higher education is placing a crushing burden on 
young Americans. Student debt has nearly doubled since 2007, topping $1 
trillion, and a recent study from the University of Michigan says 
tuition for all universities, public and private, increased at an 
annual rate of 7.5 percent from 1978 to 2011.
  On average, when a student graduates college, they owe nearly 
$30,000, and if they attend a private or out-of-State school, that 
number is even higher.
  As someone who is still paying off my student loans, I sympathize for 
our college graduates who are weighed down with debt in an economy that 
is proving to be very difficult for young, educated jobseekers.
  Mr. Speaker, our obligation is to help build an economy rich with job 
opportunities, to contain the costs of higher education, and to support 
the young, bright minds in our Nation yearning to realize their dreams.

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