I am pleased that the President's FY14 Budget addresses the student loan crisis in our country. From leading the world into the age of democracy to spearheading the technological revolution, America has always been at the forefront of greatness. 

I recently hosted an education event in which I invited Martha J. Kanter, Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, and Dennis M. Walcott, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, at Frederick Douglass Academy, my alma mater, in Harlem.

There is no question that obtaining a college degree is essential, especially in these times of high unemployment. A recent Gallup poll showed that 73 percent of college graduates are employed fulltime, compared to only 58 percent of those with a high school education or less.