A Democrat-run Congress would restore $12-billion in cuts to federal student aid, lower interest rates on student loans to 3.4 percent, and increase the tax deductibility of education costs, Democratic members of the House of Representatives said this afternoon. “The new direction that we want to take this country is about increasing access to a good, affordable education,” said Rep. George Miller of California during a conference call with reporters intended to highlight the party’s election-year agenda.
The office of the House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi of California, later issued a news release laying out the agenda for the Democrats, who have been out of power for 12 years.
Republicans quickly fired back, with one senior member of the House releasing a statement calling the Democrats hypocrites on education issues.
