Dueling Student Loan Bills Rejected in Senate

[No Elephants]

Dueling Student Loan Bills Rejected in Senate

By Sunlen Miller

May 24, 2012 6:26pm


The Senate made one last gesture this month to work on the Student Loan bill, but Democratic and Republican versions both failed in a last-minute, and half-hearted, attempt today before lawmakers leave for a week-long Memorial Day holiday.

The Democratic bill failed by a 51-43 vote. The Republican alternative failed by a 34-62 vote. Both bills needed 60 votes for passage.

Both Republicans and Democrats believe the subsidized Stafford loan rates should not be doubled from the current 3.4 percent to 7.6 percent. Leaders of both parties say the current rates should be extended for at least another year.

But they cannot agree to how to pay for the $6 billion bill.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/dueling-st... /

Bull puckeys

This is the new mantra of Congressional Republicans: "We want the same good things for the American people that the Democrats want. We differ only on how to pay for them."

It's a way of making sure nothing gets done, without losing votes because of standing in the way of measures that are very worthy and very popular with many voters.

Do NOT believe them.