Gov. Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on the Senate's failure to prevent an increase in student loan interest rates:
"As our state and country emerge from this recession, a globally competitive workforce is essential. Today's failure in the U.S. Senate to prevent student interest rates from doubling affects more than 83,000 undergraduate students in Washington state's public and private two-year and four-year institutions. These loans make it possible for these students to pursue an education, especially in these difficult economic times.
"We need more college graduates and they deserve a chance to begin their futures without added debt burdens. This is not a partisan issue -- and deserves support from both sides of the aisle within the U.S. Senate to prevent jeopardizing the future of our students."