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FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. – U.S. Rep. Jim Himes of Fairfield County has co-sponsored legislation that would hold interest rates on certain student loans at their current level without impacting funding for childhood immunizations and women’s cancer screenings.
The Greenwich Democrat opposes a proposed bill that he says would hold “student loan rates hostage to the GOP’s misguided attempt to eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund.”
“Yes, we must keep student loan rates from increasing, and yes we should fund standard cancer screenings for women who can’t afford them, but it’s a false choice to pit those items against each other on a balance sheet,” Himes said in a release. He added that the nation’s problems would not be solved without “genuine bipartisanship.”
Without legislative action, Himes says, the loan rates will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1, costing Connecticut students who rely on subsidized Stafford loans an average of $807 extra per year each. Himes’ bill (H.R. 3826) would extend the 3.4 percent interest rate for another year.
“Access to higher education can’t be a luxury — it is an economic imperative and the best way to increase opportunity for every student, no matter where they live or what their family’s financial situation,” Himes said in a prepared statement.
“We will never compete with China, India, and the other nations around the world unless everyone who is ready for and wants to go to college can pursue higher education. We must act now to keep college loan rates low,” he added.
Comments (14)
Thanks for sharing a nice blog to read on!Did you know that researchers from the University of California, LA, found in a recent study of freshman students that cost is a massive factor in college selection. It should be. Tuition is increasing along with debt loads and unemployment for recent graduates. Get a personal advice to pay for your extra school costs.
Make to higher teaching can't be a luxury - it is an efficient mood and the person way to increase possibility for every alum, no concern where they active or what their family's financial condition http://www.realexamguide.com/70-640.html
Himes is such a phoney. Nice sweaters, though. Guess with all of his Wall Street investment bank moola, Congressman 1% can afford the best.
Witonian is dead on! The GOP has submitte dbill to hold the loans at the current low rate.....to forgo NANCY PELOSI / DEOMCRAT held House plan to let the rate go up.
Education is important of course, but those students whose families have a certain level of wealth, or who get jobs in fields with starting salaries over $50k should pay for their loans with a higher interest rate. Ok, perhaps they will have to forego the flat screen TV and iPad the first few years of their working lives, but isn't that what the working class does - make choices? James Millers says it much better than I can: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/05/the_real_cost_of_a_college_education.html
This is part of a bigger problem in our society. Why should I have to subsidize other people's lifestyles? I am trying to take care of my own family - enough already - the working class cannot afford it any more as we have run out of money too.
All of these handouts are making the working people who are forced to fund them very resentful. After all, I don't get any "free" stuff; but if this continues, I may just be online with my hand out. It gets old going to work every day to pay for so many who aren't willing to work.
It is so easy to spend other peoples money.
government supported student loans fueled the rapid rise in tuition...colleges knew $ were available and failed to control their costs.
another example of a government program screwing up the economy.
Yes, Rep. Himes answer to any issue is to give away taxpayer money. He offers no concrete solutions as to how to fix this, or any other, problem. If we had a strong economy, graduates could go out and get jobs and pay off their loans. Himes has never created a job in his life (with the exception of his taxpayer funded staff). Come November, lets return Jim Himes to Cos Cob and the private sector.
Why stop there? How about free tuition for every student? How about free home for anyone who wants it? free car? free groceries? free gas? beer? mammogram? This country is near broke. Don't these stupid politicians understand it?????
Did the Himes release happen to mention what specific cuts HE would make in order to pay for the spending he desires? Or was it just more happy talk about how every single government program is important and can never be cut? I don't know the details of the cuts the Republicans are proposing, but I give them credit for at least having SOME plan to pay the cost of keeping student loan rates low. Plan beats no plan, as they say.
This guy really needs to go. Why CT continuously elects thoughtless liberals like Himes is beyond me. He is so far removed from the things & people he represents its funny. Or it would be if we werent paying for his charade.
Wiltonian is right on this. The headline should read "Himes opposes hike that democrats passed four years ago under Nancy Pelosi". Himes wants you to think he really cares about student loan amounts of $807 a year, when his leadership has increased our share of government debt $20,000 in just the last 3 years. Access to higher education is available to anyone who wants it and wants to work for it. It can be expensive, but affordable options and tons of scholarships are available.
How can the author of this article possible justify the title?? Where is the GOP hike? The is a GOP plan to cap the rate and is paid for by cuts in another part of the budget. Where is the GOP hike? This is either just very sloppy journalism or a classic example of media bias
If taxpayers are going to essentially underwrite the cost of tuition by keeping loan rates low, colleges need to justify their existing cost structures. Why should universities be allowed to endlessly raise rates, supported by government programs that we fund, when they are sitting on billions in tax free endowment money?