House passes student loan bill

Updated at 1:20 p.m. ET

(CBS News) The Republican-led House on Friday approved a bill to extend low interest rates on student loans -- but not before a heated debate over the Republican plan to pay for the bill by repealing part of President Obama's health care overhaul.

The measure passed by a vote of 215 to 195, with only about a dozen Democrats supporting the bill. Most Democrats opposed the bill because its $6 billion price tag is paid for by repealing the Prevention and Public Health Fund -- a fund that would provide for hundreds of thousands of screenings for breast and cervical cancer.

In explaining Democratic opposition to this specific bill, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said today, "What we're saying here today is stop your assault on women."

Her criticism alluded to the sustained attack Democrats have launched against Republicans in recent months, accusing them of waging a "war on women."

The White House has warned Congress Mr. Obama will veto the bill if the final version includes the repeal.

WH threatens veto on student loan bill because of health reform repeal

House Speaker John Boehner took to the House floor to passionately chastise Democrats for reviving the "war on women" rhetoric.

"My God, do we have to fight over everything?" he yelled on the floor as some members cheered. "And now we're going to have a fight over women's health. Give me a break." (Listen in the video above.)

He pointed out that Congress at the end of last year voted to cut spending from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to help pay for the payroll tax credit.

"Several months ago you all voted to cut [from the fund]," he said. "So to accuse us of wanting to gut women's health is absolutely not true."

"This is beneath us," he added.

Pelosi said today that "we weren't happy" to cut from the fund for the payroll tax reduction. "All the more reason to leave the rest of the money in," she said. She pointed out that Republicans this time around want to completely repeal the fund, not just cut from it.

Democrats say they want to pay for the measure by eliminating some of the subsidies on the oil industry. The Democratic-led Senate is set to take up its version of the bill the week of May 8.

In spite of the differences of opinion over how to pay for the measure, both Democrats and Republicans (with some exceptions) have agreed they should extend the low student loan interest rates. If Congress doesn't act by July 1, the interest rate on new subsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loans for undergraduate students will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.

The Obama administration today stressed that even though Mr. Obama would veto the House version of the bill, he still adamantly supports extending the low student loan rate.

"The Administration strongly supports serious, bipartisan efforts to prevent interest rates from doubling for over 7 million college students in the coming year," the administration's statement said. "Graduates should not be burdened with unmanageable college debt as they seek to launch a career or a business, start a family, or buy a house."

[raymailhot]

The student loan and housing debacle was built by liberal intentions.

Good or not they have lead to the destruction of many a household!

[raymailhot]

Bankrupting the American tax payer with the facade of helping students, women and the homeowner. Progressive shows no evidence of being related to progress.

[nonpolitico]

Whenever did GovernmentPrograms work??
Also how come no-one is aware in Dems that "Public Spending" is actually citizens` employees (Washington) spending citizens money without permission!??

[purplestates]

GOP is taken money from women health prevention programs, in order to keep student loan at 3%, while they subsidize 4 billions a year to oil industry. By the way, the Fed lend out to banks at 0.25% rate when they're not use much of this money lend out to small businesses and consumers, but invest in stock and oil commodity speculation to increase gasoline price at the pump. Is this make sense to you?

[paofpa-2010]

Let the Senate return the bill with a reduction in Defense. That was a normal function of the past; maybe they will talk.

[marychgo]

I'm still waiting for the Republicans to offer a "pay-for" for ANY change in the baseline budget that's more painful for millionaires or corporations than for people who make $50,000 a year or less.

It hasn't happened yet. I'm not holding my breath!

[garyargue]

and how naive is that.. Most MD can't feel the smallest of cysts, but a mammograms can.

[Zann-Zel]

CBS - Today - this article needs to be on Page ONE! Right next to an article about the War On Women Rallies coming up tomorrow!
Thank You.

[Zann-Zel]

61% of people would help the women and say screw the oil companies!
61%

Only 24% would go the republican route and kiss the oil companies ass while their mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, grandaughters Die!

[kat1043]

There is no reliable evidence that mamograms do anything to reduce the effects of breast cancer. In fact, the radiation that women are exposed to durring such proceedures is a bigger threat.

[wfw3536]

I guess maybe you do not realize Obama put in his own budget to cut billions out the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Now, the dems and Obama show the hypocrisy of this by making a big fuss of how important it is. This is such a joke the dems and Obama are trying to pull over on the American people.

[Zann-Zel]

its $6 billion price tag is paid for by repealing the Prevention and Public Health Fund -- a fund that would provide for hundreds of thousands of screenings for breast and cervical cancer.
------------------------------------------

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE IDIOTS?????????????

Is anyone from here going to the War on Women Rally tomorrow?
Anyone from Texas going?

These ******** need to be stopped!!!!!!

[hope4agape]

"Democrats say they want to pay for the measure by eliminating some of the subsidies on the oil industry."
Would any one and I mean any one find me a single US Gov "subsidy" that they pay to the oil industry ?
Keep in mind the definition of the word "subsidy ' is a sum paid by the government to a private organization.
I have looked and looked and there are no "Subsidies' that the US pays to the oil industry.
So the statement is a "Lie" the definition of which is "A false statment made with deliberate intent to deceive.
You can't take 5 Billion from a non existent subsidy and use it to provide student loans.

[RJknowstomuch]

Your correct. What they call subsidies are the tax credits they use like every other US corporation. People should lay off the biggest tax payer in the US.

[Zann-Zel]

Oh those poor little Oil companies! What are they gonna do if they loose their tax breaks/subsidies???? I mean with the FRICKEN RECORD PROFITS they're having I just don't know how they could possibly handle it!

Meanwhile......women die of cervical and breast cancer!
Man this country is SCREWED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!