Federal Student Loan Legislation Turns To Partisan Fight →
With Congress returning from a weeklong spring recess, the Senate plans to vote Tuesday on whether to start debating a Democratic plan to keep college loan interest rates for 7.4 million students from doubling on July 1. The $6 billion measure would be paid for by collecting more Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes from high-earning owners of some privately held corporations.
Republicans want a vote on their own bill, which like the Democrats’ would freeze today’s 3.4 percent interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans for one more year. It would be financed by eliminating a preventive health program established by President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.
Each side scoffs that the other’s proposal is unacceptable.
Yes…unacceptable. Because if there’s one thing we don’t need, it’s preventative medicine. Who wants to prevent obesity anyway? It’s only linked to dozens of major (and expensive) health issues.
