{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=11c27a43-0904-4f08-a856-2c345a256c89", "Heitkamp Statement on Student Loan Bill", "2013-07-24", "2013", "2013-07", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Contact: Todd Deutsch 202-224-9921 \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp issued this statement following Senate passage of the bipartisan student loan bill. The legislation allows students to take advantage of historically low interest rates, locks the rate in for the life of the loan and caps future rates. \u00a0\r\nInstead of kicking the can down the road, today we agreed to a long-term solution on student loans. We passed a bill that will provide students and parents certainty that there will be access to affordable financing options. Moreover, our legislation will give immediate relief to North Dakota students.\r\nIn addition to finding a long-term solution, capping future interest rates was a top priority for me during our negotiations. I wanted students to be able to take advantage of the current low interest rates, but I insisted the rate be capped so future students are secure if conditions change. \u00a0\r\nNow we must turn our attention to the increasing cost of higher education and helping students address existing debt.\u00a0 For our state and country to be successful, higher education must be affordable.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=11c27a43-0904-4f08-a856-2c345a256c89"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.9791442900896072, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}