Stay updated with breaking news from State congressmen. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
and a basic promise. - a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single american. - so the least among us shall have an equal chance to achieve the greatest things. - and the doors of higher education will be open to all. - no matter what your circumstances or where you are, you are part of the life of our great nation. - it s one thing all our presidents agree on, each in their own unique way. [patriotic music winds down] - have a good life. we will see you soon. - and to get that good life, all we had to do was follow the instruction manual on how to do the right thing. study hard, be nice to your brother. - get him! - go to college, graduate, and voila, achieve the american dream. but at some point. [clattering] - the us economy shrinking. - they re not getting married. they re not getting homes. they re not getting jobs. - we ve been looking at 40 years of flat wages. - those doors to opportunity got harder to open. [light laughter] - this is a big ....
To that old 1970 study about whether students were gaming the system. they weren t, but that didn t stop the critics. - so my father got a lot of attention, not just in peoria, but throughout the state. and a couple of politicians expressed outrage that my father would dare advertise such a thing. and i think it did play a role in getting state congressmen to vote to tighten on the bankruptcy laws. - for years, jim and the family have worried that bankruptcy rights were eventually removed because of the ruckus he caused. - this is part of his legacy, i think. he really believed that there should not be any exception in the bankruptcy code for student debt. - and if you re going to exclude just this one debt, which for many people is by far the largest debt that they ever incur, then the whole purpose of bankruptcy is kind of negated. [dramatic music] ....
He was attacked on the local tv station. he was attacked on the peoria journal star. the local bankruptcy judge at the time referred to him in court as a shyster. - this is the same panic that led to that old 1970 study about whether students were gaming the system. they weren t, but that didn t stop the critics. - so my father got a lot of attention, not just in peoria, but throughout the state. and a couple of politicians expressed outrage that my father would dare advertise such a thing. and i think it did play a role in getting state congressmen to vote to tighten on the bankruptcy laws. - for years, jim and the family have worried that bankruptcy rights were eventually removed because of the ruckus he caused. - this is part of his legacy, i think. he really believed that there should not be any exception in the bankruptcy code for student debt. - and if you re going to exclude just this one debt, which for many people is by far the largest debt ....