Student Loan Provisions May Ease Passage of Health Care Bill
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORNMany House Democrats reacted enthusiastically on Friday to the word that a proposed overhaul of student loan programs would be included with major health care legislation in an expedited budget package to be offered in Congress.
The student loan overhaul would end government subsidies to private, commercial student lenders that have profited handsomely by making virtually risk-free loans using taxpayer money. The education bill would also redirect billions of dollars in savings from ending the payments to an array of popular education programs, including expanded Pell grants for low-income students.
As a result, some supporters of the health care bill said they were confident the financial aid measure would help generate votes for the overall package.
A look at the vote tallies for the education and health care bills illustrates their point.
The House adopted its health care bill on Nov. 7 by a vote of 220 to 215, with 39 Democrats in opposition. The education bill, however, won even more