Vice President Biden to visit Pitt on Friday

Vice President Joe Biden will visit the University of Pittsburgh Friday as part of his effort to… Vice President Joe Biden will visit the University of Pittsburgh Friday as part of his effort to push for the American Jobs Act.

Biden will give a speech in the Connolly Ballroom of Alumni Hall at 11:45 a.m. According to an email sent to student groups Wednesday from Kenyon Bonner, the director of Student Life and associate dean of students, the ticket event will be open to students, faculty and members of the community.

Students can pick up tickets Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Friday from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the ticket office on the first floor of the William Pitt Union.

The visit follows President Barack Obama’s stop in the city last month, when he spoke in the South Side about the importance of having Congress pass the Act. Two months ago, Obama pitched his job creation proposal and in October, congressional Republicans shot down the full $447 billion jobs package. A few days later, they killed a piece of the proposal that would forestall layoffs of state and government employees.

Student Government Board President Molly Stieber will be introducing Biden. She said that Biden’s visit shows the Obama administration’s interest in large semi-public educational institutions.

“As tough as this year has been, it’s really caused us to come to terms with our economy,” Stieber said, adding that Pitt is battling its own budget.

The vice president will also discuss the administration’s efforts to increase college affordability by relieving stress on student loans.

Last Wednesday, President Obama announced his plans to enact a series of executive orders in 2012 that will aim to help college students deal with their student loan debt.

One of the orders will allow borrowers to cap their monthly student loan repayments at 10 percent of their discretionary income, down from the current 15 percent that Obama enacted in 2010.

Another order will allow students to consolidate their student loans.

Pittsburgh has been a hot spot for candidates vying for the presidency in the last few months. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney came to the Consol Energy Center for a fundraiser and Texas Gov. Rick Perry unveiled his first major policy speech on energy at the U.S. Steel Irvin plant in West Mifflin less than a week after Obama’s last visit.