WASHINGTON, D.C. -- College students are drowning in debt, and some lawmakers said credit card companies are to blame.

Lawmakers said credit card recruiters can be found on nearly every college campus, reeling in students with free gifts or promises of automatic credit.

On Thursday, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown testified before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

Brown said, “Almost any campus across this country, you see that college students are inundated with credit card applications. I question a business model that markets credit card debt to young people who don’t have the means to pay the debt back, and I question the business model that markets lifetime debt to working families and elderly Americans.”

Senators said they are troubled by how easy it is for credit cards to put young Americans into debt, even before they get out into the working world.

Lawmakers said credit card companies should be held accountable and need to give students a clear and accurate understanding of what they are agreeing to when they apply for a credit card.