WPLLC > Partner Perspectives > Archived Issue

Partner Perspectives -
Providing regularly updated insider views into Capitol Hill, the White House and more.

Washington Partner Perspectives For January 5, 2007

Today’s questions are answered by Harrison Wadsworth, a principal at the firm:

1. The January 2nd “Washington Post” reported that Democrats are proceeding with the development of their “first 100 hours” agenda without consulting with Republicans. Republicans are responding by suggesting House Democrats are already abandoning their call for more open, bipartisan Congress. What’s going on?

The Democrats’ actions are to be expected given the ambitious time schedule they promised in the campaign. The House Rules Committee can approve resolutions waiving the normal rules to expedite action on legislation. That committee is firmly controlled by the Speaker. Once the six campaign-promise bills are done, the House Democrats may indeed act in a more bipartisan fashion. It’s important to note that passing the House does not mean a bill is going to be law. The minority can block legislation in the Senate, so Democrats there will have to work in a bipartisan fashion to get anything accomplished.

2. House Democrats are calling for “cutting student loan interest rates in half” as a key part of their first 100 hours agenda. Are you surprised details of the proposal haven’t been released?

No, I’m not surprised. Organizing the House after a change in party control is a tremendous logistical task, so the members and staff have been focused on everything from physically moving offices to leadership elections to selecting members for Committees – all when most members of Congress are not in Washington. The leadership also may not have wanted details to be available so that it will be harder for critics to second guess the legislation.

3. Do you expect the Bush administration to support the interest rate cut? Why?

It all depends on the details. Congressional Republicans have already indicated opposition to increasing the budget deficit or, conversely, to hurting the FFEL Program in the process of offsetting the cost of the rate cut.

4. Some suggest that if the interest rate cut is enacted, it would undermine the prospects for enactment of a full Higher Education Act reauthorization bill later this year. Do you agree?

I don’t think it will affect the prospects of completing an HEA reauthorization very much since the Deficit Reduction Act in 2006 already reauthorized the FFEL and Direct Loan programs; the interest rate in effect just makes a change to that legislation. Reauthorization has to be done in some form, even if it’s only an extension of current law, since many other programs will expire. I continue to think that Congress will complete a bi-partisan reauthorization bill in 2007, although I have to caution that I’ve been consistently too optimistic in the past.




Washington Partners, LLC is a full service government affairs and public relations consulting firm that has built a reputation for producing results. The partners - long-term insiders in education policy - came together in 2002 to form Washington Partners, LLC. The firm boasts a staff of strategic and innovative thinkers providing a wide array of services that are customized to meet clients' needs. By consistently exceeding client goals and expectations, the firm's client list continues to grow. The firm's website may be found at: www.wpllc.net.

"Partner Perspectives" is produced weekly by Higher Education Washington, Inc. and is available on both the Washington Partners, LLC website and under "Opinions and Interviews" in the HEWI Quad located at www.hewiquad.net. Opinions expressed in "Partner Perspectives" are those of the person interviewed and not those of Washington Partners, LLC, its clients, or of Higher Education Washington or the HEWI Quad.

"Partner Perspectives" may be reprinted upon request made to Higher Education Washington, Inc. or Washington Partners, LLC.