Did Rep. Akin just call us cancerous socialists?
David Elliot, USAction/TrueMajority
We thought it was a pretty reasonable idea for Congress to act before student loan rates double for millions of middle class students. But GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin just denounced YOU as part of a massive 'stage 3 cancer of socialism' for even suggesting that billionaires, not students, should chip in to fix our budget and economy.
Look - it's just plain cowardly to take from our students to protect CEO tax giveaways and Big Oil handouts. The House just voted on this TODAY and we can't win without you - tell Congress right here, because they need to hear it.
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We need to make college more affordable, not less. But some in Congress seem to have it backwards. First, under the Ryan Budget, Republicans have proposed eliminating Pell Grants for two million students.
And now, unless Congress acts soon, an important loan program that serves almost 8 million college students will double its interest rates! With the House vote today, now Republicans are refusing to prevent interest rates from rising unless they slash preventative care for women and cancer screenings! That's just wrong.
We all know that making college affordable for all Americans isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s right for the economy. Right for an America that wants to compete in the world. The U.S. once ranked first in college graduation rates; now we rank 12th.1
That’s just not right.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) have introduced the Student Loan Affordability Act, a bill that will prevent the interest rates on nearly 8 million Stafford loans from doubling — an increase that would cost the average student $5,000.
Will you tell Congress to not let student loan rates double before it's too late?
Americans now owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, with total outstanding student loan debt in America expected to exceed $1 trillion this year.2 Millions of hardworking, taxpaying, educated Americans are being crushed under the weight of their educational debts and it's doing further damage to our economy — students with outstanding debt can't buy homes and can't contribute to the economy as full consumers.
We need a real economic stimulus and jobs plan. Investing in our students is the way to do it.
Tell Congress to not let student loan rates double before it's too late!
Sincerely,
David Elliot
USAction / TrueMajority
P.S. Want to take it one step further? Chip in $5 now so we can keep fighting for college affordability.
1 - http://abcnews.go.com/WN/president-barack-obama-outlines-college-education-goal-university/story?id=11359759#.T5HHKYVnKyY
2 - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/20/education/student-loan-interest-rates-loom-as-political-battle.html