I read the latest update on the HCR talks. Based on the president’s latest push and congressional responses, I’m now in the cautiously optimistic category that HCR will pass but that’s not the only news that caught my eye. It seems that Dem leadership is trying to put a major part of Student Loan reform in the reconciliation package as well.
Click here to read the whole update on HCR talks.
Pelosi and other House Democrats want to include Obama’s proposed overhaul of the nation’s student loan programs in the second, fix-it health care bill. The measure would require the Education Department to originate all student assistance loans, effectively eliminating a role for banks and private lenders.
That idea has run into opposition from several Senate Democrats, and while officials said the controversy was debated at length in a closed-door meeting Tuesday night, no decision was made.
Like usual the conservadems are trying to block progress and I know loans would be underwritten by private banks but this move would reverse some of the changes Republicans made to the Student Loan system in the past couple of decades.
As much as I support the proposed changes in the student loan process, I wish congress would concentrate on getting health care done and out of the way. It’s enough to get health reform passed. We don’t need to load up the bill with anything extraneous.
I agree, Nellie. It will seem underhanded to many and to me, it seems an unnecessary controversy.
Me too but putting this in the reconciliation package would be a plus. Of course they should drop it for later if it’s too difficult.
It didn’t make any real sense to me when I heard about it…
It’s a seperate issue and a big one at that and should be dealt with as such…
I feel the HCR Bill should be pure in it’s form, just HCR…
Today I called my Representative Ken Calvert (CA 44th) AGAIN,
as part of the this push from the White House
Check it out Please Call Today
this link will give you Rep contact info and more –
http://advocacy.barackobama.com/healthcare/campaigns/18/call_scripts/56/call_sessions/new
I left a comment about the call after –
The new CBO numbers are out with a new score that include the changes in the Senate bill
http://www.c-span.org/pdf/Reid_Letter_HR3590.pdf
This is for the wonks, I have to wait for the comic book to come out. 🙂
This shows how disingenuous blue dogs or (blue cross Dems as I like to call them are) and Rethuglicans are. They really only stand for HC lobbyists not fiscal discipline. This plan not only provides access to HC for most citizens but cuts out the waste in Medicare which both of these groups have been complaining about for years. Even the excise taxes are financially conservative.
Think Progress has been highlighting the student loan program the last few days. And when it comes to opposition to the change, just follow the money.
The “Progress Report” hints that the “SAFRA” (student loans) could be passed on it’s own through reconciliation, because it is purely a budget item.
http://pr.thinkprogress.org/
For a minute KQuark, I thought you talking about menopause
Thanks for the info.
For a second that went right over my head. I still remember when my mother went through “the change”. It was much closer to Armageddon than the millennium scare ever was.
😆 K, maybe we need to soundproof our house soon.
Btw, I really think that it’s going to pass and I just saw video of Dean speaking to a pro health demo crowd in DC on CNN and was really delighted. Something has changed and I can feel it’s something good.
KQuark, I think we had the same mother.
😆