Just ten days ago, red state Democratic Senator Kay Hagan admitted that “students cannot afford any more debt” and that a long-term solution is necessary.
But when the rubber hits the road and with only a few days left before student loan rates are set to double, do-nothing Kay Hagan can’t help but hedge – even if that means toeing the extreme party line rather than rally behind a long-term solution to help North Carolina college students who are already struggling to stay above water. The old “Hagan Hedge,” strikes again!
Earlier today Hagan teamed up with a liberal left all-star team including Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Tom Harkin to push a temporary band aid fix that fails to help students long-term.
Meanwhile a bipartisan group of Republicans, Democrats and Independents are working to find a long-term solution. Even Democrats recognize how out of touch the Reid-Hagan proposal is and that it merely kicks the can down the road, inviting more debt and despair to pile up onto the backs of students:
“If you only want to extend it for one more year — we failed to fix it the first year, we’re notorious for not fixing anything, we’re notorious for kicking the can down the road. We’ve said enough is enough,” Manchin [D-WV] said alongside the other negotiators on Thursday morning. “It’s about policy, it’s about what’s good for the country, not what’s good for either party, and not whether you can game somebody to make them look bad to elevate yourself.”
“For most people, helping struggling students is a bipartisan issue – but not for Kay Hagan. Students are already struggling to pay the bills and face a tough job market, yet Hagan continues to oppose bipartisan legislation to create a permanent solution that would prevent their loan rates from doubling. Hagan told North Carolinians that long-term solutions were needed and then advocated for the liberal left’s agenda; but when push came to shove, Hagan hedged yet again and sided with the liberal left – hanging students out to dry. Students deserve leaders who will work for them, which Kay Hagan has failed to do.” said NRSC Press Secretary Brook Hougesen.
