Xie in Washington Post, Interviewed for "Top Line"…and Meets with President Obama!

The Washington Post and ABC News online political show "Top Line" recently covered Fischell Department of Bioengineering senior and University of Maryland undergraduate student body president Kaiyi Xie's efforts to represent the interests of his constituents in the nation's debt ceiling debate. Xie was ultimately able to discuss the financial concerns of students around the country in person with President Barak Obama.

Xie, who double majors in mathematics, was a guest columnist in the Post's "Campus Overload" blog ahead of President Obama's visit to campus in late July. In his post, Xie explained his role as one of a coalition of over 120 student body presidents called Do We Have A Deal Yet?, which is behind efforts to ensure that the opinions and concerns of young taxpayers are heard in Washington.

"Our generation faces long-term repercussions for decisions that are made now," he wrote. "Accessibility to higher education, our lives as working Americans and even our long-term future as retirees stand to change based on the decisions of a few in Washington, D.C. We understand that sacrifice must be shared, but that does not mean our future has to be sacriﬁced. As the generation that inherits the effects of the decisions made today, we strongly urge our leaders to be ambitious in their scope and open-minded in their negotiations."

In an interview from Capitol Hill with ABC News' political show "Top Line," Xie expressed his support for the Gang of Six's efforts, urged bipartisanship and balance in finding a solution to the nation's mounting debt crisis, and emphasized that students do care about the debt debate and the effects it will have on their futures. Xie was at the Capitol representing the Do We Have A Deal Yet? coalition with Georgetown University student body president Michael Meaney.

Xie and Meaney's efforts paid off when they were able to secure a conference call with President Obama and members of his staff, including Gene Sperling (Director, National Economic Council and Counselor to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner) and Kalpen Modi (Associate Director, Office of Public Engagement, better known as actor Kal Penn). Xie met President Obama in person at the recent town hall meeting held on the University of Maryland Campus.

Xie reports that members of the coalition have also been able to speak to Erskine Bowles (co-chair, National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform) and have met with members of House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's staff.

Original Coverage:

Campus Overload: "University of Maryland welcomes Obama to campus" »

The White House Blog: "President Obama Meets with UMD Student Body President" »

ABC News: The Note: "Student Presidents to Washington: Do We Have A Deal Yet?" »

Diamondback Online: Coming Down from Capitol Hill: Obama speaks on debt ceiling, higher education to crowd in Ritchie Coliseum »

Rosenwald, Md.: "Maryland’s man in Washington" »

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Published August 3, 2011