On the recordJune 17, 2014
Mr. Speaker, President Obama recently announced some changes to student loan repayment programs. Keeping with the pattern of his administration, he has chosen to impose those changes via the regulatory process. For a while now, President Obama has been fond of saying he has a ``pen and a phone'' that he will use to codify his version of hope and change. Perhaps the pen is sufficient, but the regulatory process will take 18 months. The House is reauthorizing the Higher Education Act. Working together, student loan reforms could be considered passed and implemented much sooner if only President Obama would pick up the phone, talk with Members of Congress, and find common ground; but that takes effort, and the President does not seem inclined to call. Mr. Speaker, it seems this President has become so addicted to the pen that he no longer knows how to pick up the telephone. ____________________
