Looks like the WH and the Senate are on a path to push for Healthcare Reform and for Student Loan changes to give money to the students.
Student Loan Changes + HCR = Big Win!
It's true that after the Senate Parliamentarian's ruling today, that folks in the house are going to have faith that the Senate would pass a bill, but this could insure that and then some.
The prospects for piggybacking a student loan reform bill onto the Senate health care fixes improved considerably Thursday, with Democrats signaling support for the move and the Senate Budget Committee chairman also giving his assent.
The move could deliver twin victories to President Barack Obama, who has pushed to shake up the student loan market. But it also opens Democrats to attacks from Republicans who say Congress and the White House are already overreaching by using fast-track parliamentary rules to finish health care reform – let alone enact major changes to the college lending industry.
Reading that quote from Politico, they always have to fear monger in terms of preventing dems to do things. This could be the most expansive win that the country has seen in a very long time. It would insure the country that dems are working on their side, and though progress may be sole and intractable at time, change is coming.
Of course, as Meteor Blades notes in his diary above, there are a couple of additional "problems", the majority of the dems will have to deal with.
But six senators – Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, Mark Warner, Jim Webb and Evan Bayh – have raised concerns about the student lending bill. The group sent a letter this week to Reid, saying Congress should move forward "in a thoughtful manner that considers potential alternative legislative proposals."
And an additional dem, who was not counted from that group, Tom Carper is also suggesting that dems "slow it down".
"Our Republican friends have sought to demonize health care reform," Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said after a Democratic caucus meeting Thursday. "My fear is that by combining the education piece with the health care bill, we give Republicans a weapon to use against us that we don't need to."
So Reid is going through to determine whether there would still be 51 votes for this on top of healthcare. There's a good portion of the caucus that's supportive but, pay attention to Carper, McCaskill, Pryor and possibly Feingold or Byrd.
But let's get this done. Healthcare Reform WILL be a Great accomplishment. Reforming the Student Loan industry on top of that, would make it a LEGENDARY one.