So I now have the choice to either pay more for my student loans or pay more at the gas pump? And all of this from a government that makes it harder and harder for providers to provide actual preventive services in medicine? Representative Tierney's statements - as so often - are not in sync with reality.

And we wouldn't necessarily have this discussion if the Obama administration hadn't forced its way into full control of the student loan "market".

Congressman Tierney, when the then democratically held house and senate passed this bill it could have been for as long as you wanted. The democrats purposely passed the bill until 2012 because they new they could use it as an election year political tool against the republicans. A truly shameful act from the party who purport to care for the people.

So let me see if I've got this right...Democrats want to keep student loan interest rates from going up and Republicans (now) want to keep student loan interest rates from going up (even though the budget they proposed cuts more $140 BILLION from grants and loans that make college more affordable).

The issue that is holding this agreement up is that...

Republicans want to take money away from programs for preventative health care for women (cancer screenings etc).

Democrats want to pay for this by closing tax loopholes for Big Oil companies that are making record record profits but not paying their fair share.

I think the two parties morals and priorities are laid out pretty clearly here.

Congressman Tierney we appreciate your leadership on this!

Voters?

You can check this site to see how many bills our esteemed congressman has passed since he has been in office. http://www.massgop.com/the-tierney-record/

It is a very slim list as his job as been to be a mindless rubber stamp for Dem leadership and pass along divisive comments like ones he "wrote" here. He will again be a tool of the DNC's divide and conquer strategy. Split the country among class, gender and racial lines and hope Obama squeaks out a victory. We are a long way from the magical days of Hope and Change in Jan 09. What a crock.

Yeah - I'm sure the Masschusetts Republican Party website is a great place to go to get all the facts lol -- I'm its "fair and balanced" just like their "news" network.

The truth is this about Students not being saddled with even more debt after they graduate - not about R's and D's or Obama.

Oh btw have you heard about George W. Bush's friend fundraising for the Tierney;s GOP challenger? Lets go back to the Bush years, NOT.

I'm with John on this 100%.

Mr. Tierney,
So you want to keep interest rates low for students who went to colleges and universities that they couldn't afford?
What about retirees who can no longer afford to live because interest rates are so low that they are several points below the rate of inflation? I'd give almost anything for a 3.4% interest rate on my money, since my income has gone down almost 40% in the past 2 years.
As the representative of you ENTIRE DISTRICT, try thinking about your ENTIRE DISTRICT!

The interest rate needs to be based upon the risk of the loan. If the loans are collateralized then a rate equal to the 10 year treasury should be fine. The 10 year rate is approx 2%.

Ahhhh yes nothing as refreshing as being lectured to by a money launderer.

The Man should be in jail along with Sal DiMasi.

Kinda like John Kerry lecturing us on “paying our fair share” at the same time he was evading excise taxes on his 7 Million Dollar Yacht.

Not sure who said People get the Government they deserve but Massachusetts is a shining Metaphor for that statement.

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/news/lone_republican/index.php/2012/03/20/congressman-tierney-answer-or-stop-whining/

So this bill will ultimately help millions of students while also ending some of the tax-payers "funding" of big oil's profits? and there are arguments against this? not based in "reality"? a Democratic ploy to use this as a "political tool"? People, shut off Fox "news" and do some unbiased research of your own. Regurgitating the GOPs talking points makes you look like you can't think for yourself.
74 percent: The proportion of Americans who favor “eliminating tax credits for the oil and gas industry,” according to a NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey.
2-to-1: The margin by which “Republican voters support ending subsidies” for oil companies.
39 - 1: The amount in $ that big oil contributes to Republican Senators and Reps.
Is this not clear enough?
p.s. hey anon, one issue at a time there buddy...
p.p.s. hey Who me? when you begin your comment with a blatant lie it doesn't lend credibility to the remainder of your comment.

Dead man walking. Congressman Tierney, the quintessential Fat-cat, bloated Democrat feeding at the public trough for more years than I can remember. Hey, at least his family knows how to make a buck without public assitance. But here in Massachusetts you can't get him out of there with a crowbar. Not this time (I hope). I just saw his words coming out of Nancy Pelosi's mouth on that fair and balanced news channel that dares show actual footage of Democrats talking, damning them with their own words instead of showing us a spinmiester host telling us what they really meant.

Enough. Do you want to know why everyone thinks politics isn't working? Instead of offering suggestions of your own or offering an actual opinion, you are simply starting flame wars and attacking one another. I could care less whether you're a Democrat or a Republican. To be completely honest, I'd have more respect for you if you were neither. Instead of restating trite party talking points and pointlessly bashing each other, think about the issue at hand and offer an actual opinion or suggestion.

Ya those mean ole Fox News Republicans just want tax breaks for the rich.

Thank God we have Democrats who only want to tax the “rich” and help the middle class. The fact of this is all over our great Nation. Of all the Blue States controlled by Democrats who never tax the middle class we have....

California, among the highest taxed States in America, very close to Bankruptcy. Wisconsin, among the highest taxed States in America, very close to Bankruptcy.
Washington, among the highest taxed States in America, very close to Bankruptcy.
New Jersey, among the highest taxed States in America, very close to Bankruptcy.
Connecticut, among the highest taxed States in America, very close to Bankruptcy.
Rhode Island, among the highest taxed States in America, very close to Bankruptcy.
Massachusetts, among the highest taxed States in America, very close to Bankruptcy.
Illinois, among the highest taxed States in America, very close to Bankruptcy. In fact the Governor of Illinois last week called Bankruptcy “Inevitable”

If Democrats only want to tax the rich, and help the working people, then why is it every State they control is highly taxed and bankrupt??

Thank God the Democrats are for the Middle Class or we would really be in deep do-do.

Relax everyone Tierney will be gone after the next election.

I'm looking to get a degree in Money laundering . Mr. Congressman, can you suggest a good school? Maybe ask a relative?

More talking points. Last campaign Obama promised hope and change. This time it's all class warfare...divide and conquer....envy and hate (And a phony "war on women"). So this is what you sell when you have no ideas and no achievements. I have voted for Tieney in the past, (and Obama). NEVER AGAIN.

Let me get this straight here please, all of you democrats out there want all of us out here to vote for a man to represent our district in all fiscal matters in washington DC who did not know his own wife was illegally laundering six million plus dollars in illegal gambling profits. Could someone please call the Guinness book of world records, I believe we have found a new definition of the word insanity.

Instead of always talking about the loop holes for oil companies, why not start considering the billions being wasted buy you people in Washington.

I wish John Tierney would just go away, he is everything that is wrong with massachusetts politicians.....i just don't understand why he continues to get elected....

He gets elected because the overwhelming Democrat population of MA votes like lemmings. See the recent gubernatorial race Baker. v. Devalue

Maxine, the answer to your question is yes it is just about impossible to believe the Tierney's and here is why. Mrs. Tierney's brothers have been career criminal bookmakers since before the Tierney's were even married and have been in and out of court houses many times since. Do you want us to believe that your husband would know nothing about your family's criminal background before he married you? Do you want us to believe that you and your husband took several trips to an offshore island bookmaking operation to visit your brother with TVs all around you with football games on and telephones being answered and your husband had no idea what was going on. You conveniently left out the long criminal backgrounds out of Mrs. Tierney's family members in telling us about how you handle your husbands finances. Your situation and their situation are completely different from each other. Do you think it is incumbent upon the congressman to make sure his reputation and that of his wife's are to be at the least law abiding citizens? It really is quite a stretch for us to believe that the congressman new none of this. The more likely answer is that the congressman new what was going on, either that or he was so oblivious to what was going on right in front of his face that he could not see the forest through the trees. Either way it falls it does not sound to me like he should be representing us in our district.

In speaking with Bill Scotti a former business owner living in Hamilton, he indicated that John Tierney was doing a great job, is there for the people and knows the issues.
This coming from a republican impressed me. Bill indicated that it is best during these recessionary times not to change officials who have been in the trenches, fighting for us. He added that our main concern should be property taxes. As long as interest rates stay low, school loan rates will remain affordable to those of mean and resources. Those who have lower income would be in trouble but as he said, it is the job of the federal government to extend zero interest loans to those who qualify with a high GPA and areas of study which will contribute to our work force in competition with overseas candidates upon graduation. Adding that Hamilton/Wenham town property taxes were and issue. As Bill told me in speaking with John Tierney, jobs and lower property taxes were essential to community sustainability and fairness to our seniors. Seniors should not be taxed out of their home by zealous school advocates who are wealthy with Hubris but short on common sense when it comes to the override government mentality. As Bill said we have to balance our home budgets and pay our taxes. The town needs to recognize their obligations to its citizens in balancing the school budget, regardless of the consequences. Bill said if you want to generate more revenue for the schools
open a school store.

In addition in hearing Mr. Scotti speak at a local Rotary meeting, he indicated that by taxing real estate according to house hold income and property valuations, the school budget could easily be met. His idea was to assess higher rates per thousand on those homes owned by the wealthy. In other words if a home was assessed at over a million dollars it would be assessed with an additional luxury tax per thousand rate of $3.00 per thousand. If the house hold income on that same house was over $250,000.00, the home owner would pay and additional $2.00 per thousand of assessed value as a, above threshold income school tax. This school tax would go directly into the school operations account by direct deposit from the town after the tax was collected. The $3.00 per thousand would go directly into the towns operating budget account as discretionary to be determined by the board of selectman as to where these funds would be allocated. I thought that was a great idea, since we have many of the 1% living here in Hamilton/Wenham, amongst us.

Congressman Tierney is spot on. No young voter should be expected to assume full responsibility for any debts he or she took on voluntarily. I applaud Tierney for fighting for the American dream of living beyond our means and shedding all accountability for the consequences.

Until we get rid of all D's and R's we will continue this poor excuse for government.
Presidents budget planned on taking $$$ from this same account and the Dem's applauded! Double speak from both sides!

Doug, You hit the nail right on the head! That is why Tierney supported and VOTED for Obamas health care bill. WHAT A GUY....

Beyond voting, I have never participated in an election, by way of bumper stickers, sign-holding etc. For the first time in my life, I am going to seek ways to participate agianst the election of Tierney. Enough said.

To all area residents who think 16 years of John Tierney's type of representation are enough, the Reading Republican Town Committee is hosting a fundraiser for Richard Tisei next Monday from 6-8 at Grumpy Doyle's in Reading. Please stop by.

https://www.facebook.com/events/366717676697643/

To all who think 16 years of John Tierney's type of representation are enough, the Reading Republican Town Committee is hosting a fundraiser for Richard Tisei next Monday from 6-8 at Grumpy Doyle's in Reading. Please stop by.

https://www.facebook.com/events/366717676697643/

Time to go John.