The same old gang is going to be there. They are not "leaders" they are just professional politicians. JMO

June 25, 2013, 11:32 AM

Obama to Meet With Congressional Leaders


By Jared A. Favole

President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of congressional leaders will gather at the White House Tuesday afternoon to discuss overhauling the immigration system, preventing student-loan interest rates from doubling and how to respond to climate change.

The last topic is in the spotlight again. Before the White House meeting, scheduled for 3:55 p.m. ET, Mr. Obama is delivering a 2 p.m. speech at Georgetown University where he will call for advancing policies that can rein in greenhouse-gas emissions. Mr. Obama will call for tougher emissions standards for new and existing power plants, which will likely prompt strong backlash from Republicans and energy companies.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said in a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday morning that he intends to press Mr. Obama on his plans for the coal industry when they meet. The president’s policies, he said, would harm the coal industry and the economy.

“It’s tantamount to kicking the ladder out from beneath the feet of many Americans struggling in today’s economy,” Mr. McConnell said.

More pressing than climate change, at least in terms of the congressional calendar, are immigration and student loans. Student-loan interest rates are set to double July 1 if Congress doesn’t act. And Mr. Obama and Republican leaders have said they want Congress to pass legislation overhauling the immigration system before the end of the summer amid concern that dragging it out any longer will make it hard to get done.

Mr. Obama said Monday that the debate over immigration has reached a “critical point.” He said he hopes “that we can get the strongest possible vote out of the Senate so that we can then move to the House and get this done before the summer break.”

After Mr. Obama spoke, the Senate backed a plan to toughen security along the U.S. border with Mexico -a measure intended to help garner Republican support. A vote on revamping the entire immigration system is expected for later this week.

On student-loan interest rates, Republicans have accused the president of manufacturing a crisis. Interest rates on new student loans will double to 6.8% in July if Congress doesn’t act. Mr. Obama and Republicans have put forward plans to prevent that from happening by pegging the rates to government borrowing costs.

But their plans differ in key ways and the two sides have yet to solve their differences. Under the GOP proposal, rates on individual loans would reset each year. Mr. Obama’s plan would keep rates fixed through the life of the loans.
A White House official said they leaders will be discussing “a range of international and domestic issues.” Among the international issues that will likely come up: the diplomatic tussle over fugitive former U.S. government contractor Edward Snowden.

The meeting is expected to include:
-President Barack Obama
-Vice President Joe Biden
-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.)
-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.)
-House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio)
-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.)
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/0...2/?mod=WSJBlog