Another great legacy
If you or anyone you know has ever used student loans to go to school, you need to read this.
In an attempt to make his legacy even worse, Bush has proposed "the largest cut to student loans in American history". Please take just a few moments and contact your member of Congress today.
Our Future.org
On February 1, Congress will reconvene and immediately vote on a budget "reconciliation bill" that contains the largest cut to student loans in American history. If they have their way, the right-wing majority will follow this with another round of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
The budget bill would lock in increases to the cost of the typical student loan burden by as much as $2,000, and cost parents as much as $3,000 more in interest on loans for their children's education. [1]
The $12.7 billion cut from the student loan program won't begin to pay for the top-end tax breaks the right wing majority plans to take up next. These are not the priorities of the American people. They are the priorities of legislators who listen too much to their wealthy corporate donors and not enough to their voters.
Let's put the Congress on notice. Call your member of Congress before this Wednesday and demand that they stand up for affordable education and stand against irresponsible tax cuts for the wealthy. Click below for a toll-free number to your lawmaker's office, and simple talking points to make your call quick, simple and effective. Please call now.
Call In Step by Step
These skewed priorities are just another example of Congress' corrupt pay-to-play system. It's par for the right-wing course that the Republican chairman of the Education committee -- Rep. John Boehner -- is known as "the Congressman from Sallie Mae," a leading provider of college loans. Boehner -- who you may recognize from last week's new "campaign" ads -- is one of the front runners to replace Tom DeLay as Majority Leader. He told a group of bankers last December, that "I've got enough rabbits up my sleeve to be able to get where we need to" during a debate over student loans. Don't worry, he told them, you're in my "trusted hands." [2]
This budget bill slaps hardworking students in the face and hands a bouquet to the privileged. We have less than two days to let our legislators know that our priorities put affordable college education for working families ahead of tax handouts to the Yacht Club elites. Please call and underscore your priorities for your lawmaker today -- before Wednesday's vote.
Last fall, the Campaign for America's Future and our allies at the Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities threw numerous roadblocks in the way of this conservative reverse Robin Hood plan. We were able to protect funding for food stamps and other important progressive programs. And, we were successful in scaling back the irresponsible tax cut legislation pushed by big business interests. We forced members of Congress to think long and hard about their priorities and the choices they were making.
Now the final budget vote is pending -- and the bill still cuts student loans. When a student at Kansas State asked George Bush about those cuts, the president said the bill only reforms the program, it doesn't cut loans. That was a lie. The bill takes $12.7 billion from student loan programs.
The right-wing's proposed cuts to affordable student loans come as tuition is rising at double digit percentage rates -- up 40% over the last five years for public universities. [3] More and more students must take on debt to help finance their education. The average college student graduates with more than $19,000 in student loans. [4] And now, after freezing Pell Grants, the leading federal scholarship fund for college, Congress is voting to increase the costs of taking out a loan.
Conservatives say we have to tighten our belts to reduce the deficit. But the money cut from the loans will be surpassed by the tax cuts they plan to lavish largely on the wealthiest Americans. The result? The budget deficit will continue to increase and college will become increasingly expensive and even out of reach for millions of Americans.
It is time to make ourselves heard once more. Many swing legislators are already starting to waver. This is a long-shot, but Congress shouldn't think it can get away with slashing student loans while continuing to line the pockets of millionaires. Please, make a two minute phone call to your member of Congress and make your voice heard.
In an attempt to make his legacy even worse, Bush has proposed "the largest cut to student loans in American history". Please take just a few moments and contact your member of Congress today.
Our Future.org
On February 1, Congress will reconvene and immediately vote on a budget "reconciliation bill" that contains the largest cut to student loans in American history. If they have their way, the right-wing majority will follow this with another round of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
The budget bill would lock in increases to the cost of the typical student loan burden by as much as $2,000, and cost parents as much as $3,000 more in interest on loans for their children's education. [1]
The $12.7 billion cut from the student loan program won't begin to pay for the top-end tax breaks the right wing majority plans to take up next. These are not the priorities of the American people. They are the priorities of legislators who listen too much to their wealthy corporate donors and not enough to their voters.
Let's put the Congress on notice. Call your member of Congress before this Wednesday and demand that they stand up for affordable education and stand against irresponsible tax cuts for the wealthy. Click below for a toll-free number to your lawmaker's office, and simple talking points to make your call quick, simple and effective. Please call now.
Call In Step by Step
These skewed priorities are just another example of Congress' corrupt pay-to-play system. It's par for the right-wing course that the Republican chairman of the Education committee -- Rep. John Boehner -- is known as "the Congressman from Sallie Mae," a leading provider of college loans. Boehner -- who you may recognize from last week's new "campaign" ads -- is one of the front runners to replace Tom DeLay as Majority Leader. He told a group of bankers last December, that "I've got enough rabbits up my sleeve to be able to get where we need to" during a debate over student loans. Don't worry, he told them, you're in my "trusted hands." [2]
This budget bill slaps hardworking students in the face and hands a bouquet to the privileged. We have less than two days to let our legislators know that our priorities put affordable college education for working families ahead of tax handouts to the Yacht Club elites. Please call and underscore your priorities for your lawmaker today -- before Wednesday's vote.
Last fall, the Campaign for America's Future and our allies at the Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities threw numerous roadblocks in the way of this conservative reverse Robin Hood plan. We were able to protect funding for food stamps and other important progressive programs. And, we were successful in scaling back the irresponsible tax cut legislation pushed by big business interests. We forced members of Congress to think long and hard about their priorities and the choices they were making.
Now the final budget vote is pending -- and the bill still cuts student loans. When a student at Kansas State asked George Bush about those cuts, the president said the bill only reforms the program, it doesn't cut loans. That was a lie. The bill takes $12.7 billion from student loan programs.
The right-wing's proposed cuts to affordable student loans come as tuition is rising at double digit percentage rates -- up 40% over the last five years for public universities. [3] More and more students must take on debt to help finance their education. The average college student graduates with more than $19,000 in student loans. [4] And now, after freezing Pell Grants, the leading federal scholarship fund for college, Congress is voting to increase the costs of taking out a loan.
Conservatives say we have to tighten our belts to reduce the deficit. But the money cut from the loans will be surpassed by the tax cuts they plan to lavish largely on the wealthiest Americans. The result? The budget deficit will continue to increase and college will become increasingly expensive and even out of reach for millions of Americans.
It is time to make ourselves heard once more. Many swing legislators are already starting to waver. This is a long-shot, but Congress shouldn't think it can get away with slashing student loans while continuing to line the pockets of millionaires. Please, make a two minute phone call to your member of Congress and make your voice heard.