The U.S. House of Representatives closed the book on one of the largest cuts to student aid in history after months of congressional debate, sending President George W. Bush legislation that includes billions in cuts to student aid.
The budget bill began its trek through the Legislature late last year, when it was approved by both the House and the Senate by narrow margins. In the Senate, where Vice President Dick Cheney cast the tie-breaking vote, Democratic opponents made a “point-of-order” objection because of minor changes made to the bill. The parliamentary maneuver sent the legislation back to the House for a vote, where congressmen approved the bill 216-214 on Feb. 1.
The final $12 billion slash to student-loan programs stunted last-ditch efforts by higher education interest groups, which had been lobbying legislators to oppose the cuts en masse since last year. The effort worked in some cases, when groups were successful in swaying traditionally conservative politicians to vote against the bill.
“The budget that was drafted in the House-Senate conference was a better budget and I voted for it in December,” Rep. Rob Simmons (R-Conn.) stated in a press release. “Since then, I have met with and listened to a wide range of constituents. … The consensus is that the bill, despite the improvements, remains unsatisfactory. … I have listened and concluded that the budget, as it stands, falls short.”
However, the bulk of the bill’s supporters stuck with it, emphasizing fiscal responsibility in the face of a growing federal budget deficit.
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), chairman of the House’s Education and Workforce Committee, called the bill a “common-sense” proposal.
“[The bill] preserves and expands critical student benefits while simultaneously generating savings in higher education by making programs more efficient and effective,” Boehner stated in a press release.
All House Republicans voted to pass the cuts.
The legislation also lightens financial burdens on specific groups, Boehner stated. The legislation included suspension of loan repayment for up to three years for active-duty military and loan forgiveness for math, science and special-education teachers at low-income schools.
The main consequence of the bill, however, is cuts to student loans by far too much, according to A.S. President Christopher Sweeten, who organized on-campus call-in efforts to inform representatives of students’ concerns.
“It is not fiscally responsible to fix the budget on the backs of students, who in the future will be the ones to stimulate the economy through technological innovation and going back into failing schools to teach the youth,” he stated in an e-mail.
The bill will hike interest rates for some student loans, including a Parent PLUS loan interest-rate hike from 7.9 to 8.5 percent.
“I would say students and college groups lost big time on this bill,” UCSD Financial Aid Director Vincent De Anda said about the Senate version last year. “Generally, it will cost students more to obtain loans and to retire the loan obligation.”
