Permanently fixing the student loan interest rates and addressing the importance of the Senate filibuster are the subject of a new video that U.S. Senator Mike, R-Wyo., recorded this week. The video addresses questions and comments Wyoming constituents sent him during the past couple weeks concerning these issues and were selected from Facebook and Twitter, in phone calls to his D.C. and Wyoming offices, and in email and written letters.
Student loan interest rates
"The federal government, under Obamacare, decided that they could latch onto that student money and make a bunch of money off of students."
"If you already have a student loan, your loan rate is already locked in. If you follow the Democrat plan, they are only talking about 40 percent of the new student loans taken out."
"There are people on both sides of the aisle that would love to vote on this and would love to solve it permanently. Not just for one year at a time. This one year hoax, holding people hostage one year at a time is wrong."
"That's what we want to do. Solve it permanently for 100 percent. Once you've got the loan, your interest rate is locked in."
Senate filibuster
"If we were to change the Senate so it just took a majority vote for everything, we'd be just like the House and the majority party would rule everything."
Enzi also discussed how the filibuster is a tool for guaranteeing the constitutional duty of advise and consent for presidential nominees. Without it, nominees would have no reason to talk to those in the minority and senators in the minority would be unable talk to the nominees. Changing the filibuster would also limit the ability of senators to ask questions and submit questions to nominees which shed light on important policy positions .
Enzi also discussed issues with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and how two of the recent appointments were unconstitutionally appointed.
"The two that were there illegally acted according to the courts they shouldn't get the job permanently."
"The majority can't complain that we aren't approving people, because 1,564 people have made it through the process, only four have been turned down."
"The nominee process needs to go through the advise and consent process that our forefathers thought was important as a check and balance against the administrative branch. The filibuster does have a role."
Senator Enzi records "Collecting Common Sense from Wyoming for Washington" videos every other week when the Senate is in session. He encourages Wyoming residents to continue sharing their thoughts, ideas, and questions and he will address as many of the topics as possible. For individual responses, constituents should email him through his web page -- www.enzi.senate.gov.