Posted by Congressman Buck McKeon at 12:00 am on Mar 18, 2010 Comments Off on Americans Don’t Know the Half of It (Literally)
While House Democrats are plotting political gimmicks and
backroom deals while vying for ‘yes’ votes on their health care
bill, most Americans would be shocked and confused to learn that
Democrats have included a plan – tied to the health care bill – to
eliminate private-sector options for a government-managed direct
student loan program.
In 1993, President Clinton expanded the government-operated
direct loan program. While I didn’t support the move then,
Republicans and Democrats aimed to strike a balance between
government-controlled student loans and private loans. With
this new super-Democrat majority, the days of negotiation have
passed, and Democrats have made leaps towards a full government
takeover of the student loan industry.
Not only are these two bills now being tied together in
reconciliation, they also have eerily similar historic paths.
Just as the Majority said they wanted to create a ‘government
option’ for student loans, to only fully takeover the program years
later; they are making the same claims about health care
today. For Democrats, it starts with a call for a
‘government option,’ but make no mistake; the intent… Read More