Central Perk: Weekly Address: Calling on Congress to Prevent Student Interest Rates from Doubling

sâmbătă, 21 aprilie 2012

Weekly Address: Calling on Congress to Prevent Student Interest Rates from Doubling

Your Daily Snapshot for
Saturday, April 21, 2012

Weekly Address: Calling on Congress to Prevent Student Interest Rates from Doubling

President Obama believes that we should be doing everything we can to put higher education within reach for every American – because at a time when the unemployment rate for Americans with at least a college degree is about half the national average, it’s never been more important.

He is calling on Congress to act before student loan interest rates double for more than 7.4 million students, adding an average of $1,000 to their debt. Congress has a chance to take action on what should be an area of bipartisan agreement to prevent this unnecessary and damaging increase in interest rates and give our young people a chance to succeed in the jobs of today and tomorrow

Watch the President's weekly address:

President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the State Dining Room of the White House, April 20, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Weekly Wrap Up

Your quick look at this week on WhiteHouse.gov:

Summit of the Americas: Over the weekend, the President was in Cartagena, Colombia for the sixth annual Summit of the Americas -- a gathering of more than 30 leaders from North, South, and Central America. While there, he participated in a panel discussion with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos and announced that the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement will enter into force on May 15, 2012. "[This] agreement is a win for both our countries," the President said while speaking to Colombian President Santos.

Increasing Oversight to Eliminate Manipulation: Speaking from the Rose Garden on Tuesday, President Obama announced a new series of steps to strengthen oversight of the energy markets while asking lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at curbing illegal behavior and holding the people who manipulate markets accountable.

Visit from NASCAR Champ: President Obama congratulated Tony Stewart on winning his third Sprint Cup Championship as he welcomed the NASCAR champ and his fellow drivers to the White House at an event on the South Lawn. He recognized NASCAR's dedication to supporting our troops through their partnership with Joining Forces.

Roll Tide: On Thursday, President Obama welcomed the University of Alabama's football team -- the Crimson Tide -- to the White House to honor their fourteenth national championship and their exceptional 2011-2012 season. After a F4 tornado devastated Tuscaloosa a year ago, killing 248 people including six students from the University, the team's victory was especially meaningful. The President praised the players, explaining that, "[T]he Tide showed us what it takes to win as a team, but they also showed what it means to be a part of a larger community: to look out for one another, to help."

Talking Jobs Training in Ohio: On Wednesday, the President traveled to Lorain Community College in Elyria, Ohio, where he discussed the Administration's jobs training initiatives and efforts to connect unemployed Americans with the skills training needed to find jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries, and participated in a roundtable with unemployed workers who are students in a job training program there.

West Wing Week: Your video guide to everything that's happening this week at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Watch here.

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