Student loan overhaul seems likely to join Senate health-care bill

[kpete]

Source: Washington Post

Student loan overhaul seems likely to join Senate health-care bill

By Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 11, 2010; 4:49 PM

Senate Democrats said Thursday that they are inclined to add an overhaul of the nation's student loan program to the final health-care bill.

The move would create a potential double victory for President Obama, who has championed both causes as among domestic priorities. And Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) said Thursday, "There was a stronger feeling for including" the education proposal. Some senators disagreed with the strategy, Durbin said, adding that a final decision has yet to be reached.

Under the student loan proposal, subsidies that now support private lenders would be shifted to other student assistance programs, including Pell Grants for families struggling to afford college tuition. "Some of the things accomplished here are really going to help a lot of people across America," Durbin said.

Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) had been one of the chief opponents of the maneuver, for fear that it would provoke procedural challenges from Republicans. But he said the Senate parliamentarian had suggested in a preliminary ruling that combining the bills could work, provided Senate Democrats strike the right balance on cost.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/11/AR2010031103144.html

[wryter2000]

1. 10, 9, 8, 7...

Sound of Mitch McConnell clutching his pearls and swooning.

[midnight]

3. Ha. Ha. I can see it now...

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. What the f*ck is it with "joint" and contradicting bills depending on each other???

.
.
.

We don't have that up here

A health bill is a health bill - what the feck has that to do with education?

The USA's legislation is crippled with these obtuse and irrevelant attachements IMO

I know our government has it's back door deals - money talks

BUT

SHEEIT - the USA attaches all sorts of things to legislation that are no way relevant . .

That ain't democracy

It's theocracy in disguise

[mac56]

4. This is rich.

Can't wait to see the Republicans vote against affordable college tuition.

Even red staters want their kids to afford college.

[groundloop]

5. I'd much rather see a separate "Student Loan Affordability Bill"

Even though I want to see the student loan program taken away from middle men, this doesn't have anything to do with healtcare. I'd prefer the Senate be honest about what's in the bill and let it stand on it's own merit. Just let the republicant's fillibuster a bill designed to cut the costs of student loans.

[defendandprotect]

6. What about putting a usury law on Student Loans already in exitence?

Used to be 6 years . . . now they go on to infinity!

[hollowdweller]

7. Reading the responses to this thread

And hearing republicans too mention similar concerns at other times I think there seems to be a national distaste for bundling unrelated bills together. Understand why they do it mind you but I don't think most people of either party like it.

[DesertDiamond]

8. They need to pass a law against bundling unrelated bills together.

[No Elephants]

9. They don't want to add a public option to the health care bill, for fear of slowing it down, but

they're not worried that sticking an overhaul of student loans into a health care bill might slow it down?


:eyes: