Republicans Haven’t Changed Their Minds on Student Loans, They’ve Changed Tactics

Washington, DC – Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member on the House Budget Committee, spoke in opposition to the House Republicans’ student loan bill. Below is a transcript of his remarks and you can watch the video here:

Thank you Mr. Speaker, and I thank my friend from Massachusetts—

Just a few weeks ago, on this very floor, our Republican colleagues voted for the Republican budget that called for a doubling of interest rates on student loans – on 7 million American students.  And they voted against the Democratic alternative budget, which would have prevented that increase in student loan interest rates.

So, what has happened over the last couple weeks? Well, President Obama has gone to the country, he’s gone to students, and he has told the story about what the Republican budget would do. And so we are here today. But make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, our Republican colleagues haven’t changed their minds about this – they have changed their tactics.

If they really wanted to prevent student loans from increasing, they wouldn’t seek to cover the cost by cutting funds for cervical cancer screening, by cutting funds for breast cancer screening, by cutting other women’s health care measures. They wouldn’t push a measure the President has already said he would veto.

Mr. Speaker, we have a proposal. Let’s cover the costs by getting rid of the subsidies for big oil companies – that’s the real slush fund around here, are the big taxpayer subsidies that go for that purpose. Let’s get the job done, and let’s not play political games.

Unfortunately what we are seeing here, Mr. Speaker, is an effort to seek political cover. Let’s get the job done for real.

Thank you.