No deal announced on student interest bill as Reid, McConnell stress openness

{mosads}Both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday indicated interest in working with members of the opposing party to pass legislation to extend the current 3.4 percent interest rate on Stafford loans for another year. But as of Thursday morning, two days after the Senate rejected a procedural move to advance Democrats’ student interest legislation, no agreement seemed near. Democrats plan on bringing the legislation up for a vote again.

Instead, Reid reconvened the chamber with opening debate on legislation the House passed earlier to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, H.R. 2072, the Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act.

“To get to the president’s desk this Congress, and every piece of legislation that we pass must get to his desk or it doesn’t become law — to do that we need Democratic votes or Republican votes. And it means we need both Democratic and Republican votes to get that done.”

Reid went on to praise outgoing Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), who lost his reelection primary to Indiana state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, a Tea Party favorite. A day earlier Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) also praised Lugar’s time in the Senate. Reid said Lugar represented the “hallmark” of the Senate, “compromise.”

Right after Reid, McConnell came to the floor and said Republicans are willing to work with Democrats to “move on critical, pro-growth bills.”

“Yesterday, the majority leader said Democrats are willing to make the tough choices. Well, Republicans are waiting,” McConnell said. “And with all due respect, we have a tough time believing our friends across the aisle when the only issues they care about these days are show votes coordinated with the White House for political gain.

“So today, let’s stop the show votes that are designed to fail. Let’s stop with the blame games. Let’s come together and do what the American people expect us to do.”

McConnell began his speech saying that he agreed with the Democrats who praised Lugar’s time in office, but now wasn’t the time to recognize his career accomplishments.

“I certainly share my friend the majority leader’s views about Sen. Lugar’s record, but I would remind my colleagues he has eight more months to be among us and to serve this country and I think an appropriate time to celebrate his outstanding career is when it comes to an end in the Senate,” McConnell said.