Obama Urges Congress to Extend Law on College Loans

 U.S. President Barack Obama is urging Congress to extend a law set to expire in July that would prevent interest rates on student loans from doubling.

Obama said in his weekly Internet and radio address Saturday, "In America, higher education cannot be a luxury. It's an economic imperative¹ that every family must be able to afford."

The president says making it difficult for young people to afford a college education is nothing more than "cutting our own future off at the knees."  President Obama will take his message of affordable² higher education to university campuses in the key electoral states of North Carolina, Iowa, and Colorado this week.

While Obama looks for ways to help middle class college students, Republicans used their weekly commentary to attack the president's energy policy and economic agenda.

Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri says the president should be focused on generating jobs, and he should stop blocking a oil pipeline³ project from Canada, through the United States to the Gulf⁴ of Mexico.

Blunt said the oil pipeline would create thousands of U.S. jobs and help reduce our demand for foreign oil.

1 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

2 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

3 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。