Received this e-mail today from Senator Brian Schatz (D. HI):
For many students, federal student loans help them invest in themselves and get the college education they want and deserve.
But since 2008, young people have faced a terrible job market. Making it worse, Congress has put American youth over a barrel with climbing student loan interest rates set to double on July 1 from 3.4% to 6.8%. That's nine times higher than the 0.75% rate the Federal Reserve charges banks.
Making it harder for students to get an education is wrong -- for them, and for the economy.
That's why I cosponsored Senator Elizabeth Warren's bill, the Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act, to temporarily lower the interest rate for federal student loans to the same rate the Federal Reserve charges the big banks -- and I want to know you're with us.
Will you add your name to my card for Senator Warren thanking her for standing up for students? Show her we'll be there to back her up when this bill comes up in the Senate!
http://action.brianschatz.com/...
Keeping interest rates low will strengthen our economy and grow the middle class -- because student loans, done right, give students the opportunity to go to college and get better-paying jobs than they would have had otherwise. In other words, everybody wins.
But right now, everybody is losing. Student loan debt is reaching a crisis point, with total student debt topping $1 trillion -- higher even than total credit card debt. That only discourages new students from going to college while graduates are stuck paying off debt for years rather than growing the economy.
Senator Warren's bill short-circuits that cycle. With a one-year reduction in the interest rate, it helps new students get a fair shake and helps struggling graduates make real progress on paying off their loans.
It's fair, it's smart, it's the right thing to do, and I need your help to show Senator Warren we're with her.
Click here to add your name to my thank you card for Senator Warren today!
http://action.brianschatz.com/...
As senator, and as a father, I will always fight to make sure students have the opportunity to go to college, and to be able to do it without sacrificing their futures.
Our kids deserve the best possible shot at success. Thank you for standing with me to show your support for this important change that will help us give them that chance.
Aloha,
Brian Schatz
U.S. Senator
P.S. Once you've signed the card, please forward this email to your friends who believe in a better future for our students and ask them to sign as well!
http://action.brianschatz.com/...
You can click here to sign Schatz's Thank You card to Senator Warren:
http://action.brianschatz.com/...
This is just one of several reasons why the Daily Kos community should get behind Senator Schatz over his opponent, Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa (D. HI-1). Especially since Hanabusa stated her support for FISA whereas Schatz opposes:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
"My first vote as United States Senator was against the FISA Amendments Act because it failed to provide transparency, accountability and reasonable limits when the federal government conducts surveillance for intelligence purposes. While I recognize that the FISA Amendments Act has helped to produce useful intelligence, I fear that we do not have a full understanding of the impact that this law has on the privacy of Americans. We need a comprehensive review of the FISA Amendments Act to ensure that Americans’ privacy and civil liberties are protected."
I thank Karen from Maui for this. If you would like to get involved with Schatz's campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.brianschatz.com/