WASHINGTON (AP) - The House Democratic leader is opposing a Republican bill that she says would raid women's programs in order to keep student loan interest rates low.
Nancy Pelosi says Republicans propose to pay for the bill by targeting women's health, and she says "that's just wrong."
The House is scheduled to vote tomorrow on the bill, which would prevent the 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford student loans from doubling as scheduled on July 1. It's a goal shared by Democrats, but the two parties differ over how to pay for it.
The Republicans' $5.9 billion bill would be paid for by cutting money from a public fund created under the new health care law for things like immunization campaigns, research, screenings and wellness education. Republicans have dubbed it a "slush fund."
A Democratic bill in the Senate would pay for it by forcing high-earning owners of some privately owned corporations to pay more Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes.
