Congressman ‘GT’ Thompson Talks Changing Students’ Futures in 2012 Election

Flanked by Chairman of the Pennsylvania Federation of College Republicans Anthony Christina at a podium decorated with Romney-Ryan campaign signs, Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson endorsed the Republican presidential ticket and criticized the burden he said President Barack Obama has put on students. 

Thompson, U.S. House representative for Pennsylvania’s fifth district and a Penn State alum endorsed Romney, who officially accepted the nomination to be the Republican candidate for president at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fl. last week. The congressman called vice presidential candiate Ryan a good friend.

Much of the nearly nine minutes that Thompson spoke to a crowd of supporters in downtown State College was spent questioning Obama’s ability to lead America into the future, focusing on the state of the economy. Hours earlier, the national debt hit $16 trillion. 

Thompson said the election, as all elections do, focuses on the future, but said students are worse off than they were four years ago, before Obama took office. 

Christina, a senior at Penn State, said Penn State students have been forced to endure a 25 percent tuition increase over the past four years, coupled with the federalization of the student loan program. 

‘We need them, we need the students at Penn State to take an active role, to be informed because they have more risk in this election than any of the rest of us,’ Thompson said.

‘Four years ago, (the students) were freshman, and talk about unkept promises. How much worse their future is because of these past four years of Barack Obama … in this administration you’re going to hear over and over how much better off Americans are, but look at the facts … the facts are not in his favor.’

Thompson said he doesn’t believe graduating seniors have seen their opportunities for the future get any better in the past four years.

‘They’re getting ready to go into the workforce at a time where there are 23 million Americans who are either unemployed or extremely underemployed.

‘That’s some pretty tough compettion – to take your education, and a great education at this university, and to go out and to capitalize on it and to use it,’ he said. 

Romney-Ryan is the ticket Thompson said he believes is best for students and the country. 

‘Never let emotion trump the facts that are out there,’ Thompson said.