 XXXX Voted Against Sunsetting Provisions After Two Years When Rates Are Projected To Rise. In July 2013, XXXX voted against an amendment that would sunset the bill's provisions on July 1, 2015. The substitute amendment would set federal student loan interest rates to the Treasury Department's 10-year borrowing rate, plus 2.05 percent for subsidized and unsubsidized undergraduate loans, 3.6 percent for graduate loans and 4.6 percent for PLUS loans. The loan rates would be capped at 8.25 percent, 9.5 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively. According to Politico, “Sanders want[ed] a vote on his amendment to sunset the bill to sunset after two years when interest rates are projected to rise while Reed wants more stringent caps on loan rates.” The amendment was rejected by a vote of 34-65 (D 33-18, R 0-46, I 1-1). [Vote 184, 7/24/13; Politico, 7/22/13]  XXXX Voted Against Lower Cap For Student Loan Rates For College Students. In July 2013, XXXX voted against an amendment that would lower interest rate caps from 8.25 percent to 6.8 percent for federal undergraduate student loans, from 9.5 percent to 6.8 percent for graduate loans and from 10.5 percent to 7.9 percent for PLUS loans. The cost of the reduced rates would be paid for by a 0.55 percent tax on individuals whose income exceeds $1 million or $500,000 if it is a married individual filing a separate tax return. The substitute would set federal student loan interest rates to the Treasury Department's 10-year borrowing rate, plus 2.05 percent for subsidized and unsubsidized undergraduate loans, 3.6 percent for graduate loans and 4.6 percent for PLUS loans. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 46-53 (D 45-6; R 0-46; I 1-1). [Vote 183, 7/24/13] XXXX Voted Against Extending 3.4 Percent Student Loan Interest Rate For One Year. In July 2013, XXXX voted against a motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the Reid, D-Nev., motion to proceed to the bill that would extend a 3.4 percent fixed interest rate on federal subsidized undergraduate student loans for one year. The cost of the extension would be offset by reducing certain tax exemptions on inherited retirement accounts. The motion was rejected by a vote of 51-49 (D 50-2; R 0-46; I 1-1). According to the Christian Science Monitor, the measure “would guarantee students taking out new Stafford loans that they would pay neither more nor less to borrow money than they have in the past year. It is the only plan on the table that will not cost students extra - at least, until the year is up and Congress returns to debating what to do with interest rates. It is also the plan that will most exacerbate the federal deficit. The research arm of banking giant Barclays estimates that federal inaction will lead to the Stafford program costing the government more than $100 billion over the next eight years.” [Vote 171, 7/10/13; Christian Science Monitor, 7/10/13] XXXX Voted Against Ending Filibuster On Plan To Extend Student Loan Interest Rates For Two Years And Keep Them From Doubling By Closing Tax Loopholes Including Those For Oil Companies. In June 2013, XXXX voted against a motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the Reid, D-Nev., motion to proceed to a bill that would extend the 3.4 percent fixed interest rate on federal subsidized undergraduate student loans for two years. The cost of the extension would be offset by reducing certain tax exemptions on retirement and corporate accounts, and applying an excise tax to oil from tar sands. The motion was rejected by a vote of 51-46 (D 50-1; R 0-44; I 1-1). [Vote 143, 6/6/13]  USA Today Headline: “Senate Defeats Bills To Keep Student Loan Rates Low.” [USAToday, 6/6/13] XXXX Voted In Favor Of Republican Student Loan Plan That Would Result In Higher Rates For Students. In June 2013, XXXX voted in favor of a motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the Reid, D-Nev., motion to proceed to a bill that would tie interest rates for federal undergraduate and graduate student loans to the 10-year Treasury borrowing rate plus 3 percentage points. Savings generated from the proposal would be used for deficit reduction. The motion was rejected by a vote of 40-57 (D 1-50; R 39-5; I 0-2). [Vote 142, 6/6/13] XXXX Voted To Allow Student Loan Rates To Double. In May 2012, XXXX voted against a motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the Reid, D-Nev., motion to proceed to the bill that would extend, for one year, a 3.4 interest rate on certain federally-backed student loans. It would be offset by eliminating a tax preference for S corporations, which are companies that pass their income, losses, deductions and credits through to shareholders for federal tax purposes. The motion was rejected by a vote of 52-45. [Vote 89, 5/8/12; New York Times, 5/8/12] 67