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House GOP members discuss student loan interest rates in Google hangouts

 Although Democrats have all but given up hope that Congress will pass a bill keeping federal student interest rates low by Monday, several House GOP members participated in a Google hangout to tell students that they’re still fighting for students nationwide.

“We have five days to do something before these interest rates double,” Rep. Jackie Wolorski of Indiana told four students participating in a Google hangout Wednesday.

“The stifling moment right now is the Senate refusing to act on this. We did our part, we worked together and came up with a plan and so now we’re to a point where the third portion of the government, the Senate side, has to come forward to help us solve this problem,” she added.

All in all six Republicans, including Walorski, held Google chats. The others were Reps. Virginia Foxx (N.C.), Diane Black (Tenn.), Susan Brooks (Ind.), Larry Bucshon (Ind.), Cory Gardner and Todd Rokita (Ind.)

With federally subsidized student interest loan rates set to increase from 3.4 to 6.8 percent if nothing is done by Congress before July 1, House Republicans passed the Smarter Solutions for Students Act in May. The bill would tie federal student interest loan rates to the markets.

“We think going with the market in a culture like ours – which is a capitalistic one – is better than relying on politicians to arbitrarily decide what the rates will be,” Foxx told a student from Indiana who asked about affordability during the discussion.

With the GOP bill on the table and less than a week left for congress to act, House members have aggressively urged the Senate to recognize and vote on the bill. On Wednesday USA Today published an op-ed by House Republican Conference Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), in which she highlighted one college student’s testimony while scrutinizing the Democratic Senate for it’s inaction.

“We’re elected to Congress to help the people we represent – to make it easier for them to go to college, receive an education and find a job once they graduate,” McMorris Rodgers wrote. “That’s why House Republicans acted, but by refusing to compromise on student loans, the president and Democrats are doing just the opposite.”

Despite the Republicans’ proposals, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) admitted Wednesday that it is unlikely that the chamber will pass a bill on student loan interest rates by Monday’s deadline. Earlier in the week Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) had introduced legislation that would authorize the use of Treasury Department money to keep student loan interest rates low.

“There is no deal on student loans that can pass the Senate because Republicans continue to insist that we reduce the deficit on the backs of students and middle-class families, instead of closing tax loopholes for the wealthiest Americans and big corporations,” Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson told The Washington Times. “Democrats continue to work in good faith to reach a compromise, but Republicans refuse to give on this critical point.”