Providing for Consideration of H.R. 1911, Smarter Solutions for Students Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. CASTOR of Florida. I thank my colleague, the ranking member of the Rules Committee, for yielding the time and for being a consistent voice on behalf of families and students across America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Republicans' Making College More Expensive Act and the rule, and I rise on behalf of students all across America, particularly back home in Florida and in the Tampa Bay area.

Mr. Speaker, we know that a college education is key to success in life, and that the rising costs of attending college can be an impediment to a student's ability to get into the classroom and get the courses that they need.

About 10 days ago, I was at Tampa's Robinson High School talking with graduating seniors, and they implored me to please stand up for them and be a voice because they see the direct connection on the money that their families have to spend and on their ability to attend college. That is why this Republican Making College More Expensive Act would be so detrimental to the future of our country and to those families and students that really want to get ahead in life.

For example, the GOP's bill is projected to nearly double student loan rates by 2016, and by the time next year's freshmen graduate and start repaying their loans in 2017, the interest rate is expected to more than double beyond today's current rate.

So I think about the 34,000 students in my district who rely on loans, whether they're at Hillsborough Community College, St. Pete College, the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, or wherever. This Congress has got to stand up for families and students for a change.

So I urge my Republican friends to cross over and join us and to block this student loan increase that the Republican leadership is proposing, side with students and families, oppose the rule and oppose the bill.

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