As I write this, the 100-Hour Clock is currently set to 31 Hours 39 Minutes and 42 seconds.

And as we’ve covered here on the UNO Democrats Blog, so far the Democrats in the House have passed legislation to:

• Enact 9/11 Commission Recommendations
• Negotiate for Lower Prescription Drug Prices
• Increase Minimum Wage
• and Expand Stem Cell Research

And today, as promised, the House is set to pass a bill designed to lower student loan interest rates.

The student-loan proposal would cut interest rates from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent on federal Stafford loans, which are for lower- and middle-income families.

and just why do we need this new bill?

Just three years ago, student-loan interest rates averaged around 3.4 percent. But the Republican-controlled Congress fixed rates at 6.8 percent last year… Education groups nationwide were up in arms, and Democrats campaigned to reverse the move.

This means millions of college students, including lots and lots of UNO Dems, will save thousands of dollars in loan interest payments they’ll never have to make.

Isn’t this new Congress super? Or perhaps the right word is classy.

UPDATE: The bill passes a whopping 356 to 71. How do you like DEM Apples?!!

UPDATE II: Nebraska’s own Jeff Fortenberry (R-Lincoln) and Adrian Smith (R-Central and Western Nebraska) are among the 71 ‘no’ votes. Lee Terry(R-Omaha), after facing lobbying pressure from UNO Dems among others, voted ‘yea.’