HARTFORD— U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement in response to President Obama’s higher education proposal:

I applaud the President’s efforts to reduce the overall cost of and improve access to higher education in this country. Over the last thirty years, the cost of college has skyrocketed, leaving higher education out of reach for too many Americans. I’ve heard from students and educators all across Connecticut, and the message is clear: we need to think bigger to solve this problem. But instead of addressing it more holistically, Congress has instead focused on patching together year to year extensions of federal student loan interest rates. I believe the affordability and accessibility of higher education will determine, to a large extent, America’s role in the world for generations to come. I plan to introduce legislation to address this, and I look forward to working with the President and my colleagues in Congress to accomplish this goal.