Statement Of Senator Edward M. Kennedy On The House Vote To Cut Student Loan Interest Rates

STATEMENT OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON THE HOUSE VOTE TO CUT STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATES

Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement on the House's passage of the interest rate reduction bill.

"I applaud my colleagues in the House for passing this vitally important measure, and especially want to recognize Chairman George Miller's leadership on behalf of our nation's students. The crisis in college affordability affects every low and middle-income family in America, and is threatening our economic progress as a nation. It's obvious we need to act immediately to make student debt more manageable, and that's why I look forward to taking up this critical issue in the Senate very soon. Students should not have to mortgage their futures in order to attend college."

Senator Kennedy will continue to lead efforts in Congress to reduce interest rates on student loans and help students and families pay for college. He is co-sponsoring the companion bill to the legislation passed by the House today, and will reintroduce his Student Debt Relief Act, which contains other critically important measures to help students and families deal with the burden of rising college costs. Senator Kennedy hopes to move a Senate student loan package in February.

http://kennedy.senate.gov/newsroom/press_release.cfm?id=4516fe60-f702-40f8-a860-66992d626b08