STATEMENT: Young People Win on Student Loan and Health Care Reform
Contact:
Katie Andriulli
202-725-2474 / kandriulli@americanprogress.org
On Student Loan and Health Care Reform, Young People Triumph over Special Interests
WASHINGTON, DC — Campus Progress Senior Advocacy Associate Pedro de la Torre III released the following statement today in response to the final passage of HR 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act.
“Today Congress took action to eliminate an inefficient and corrupt student loan system and finally put the interests of students over banks. Young people overwhelmingly support health care and student aid reform, and are heartened to see that the change they voted for has become a reality.”
Campus Progress has fought hard over the past year to support these vital reforms on behalf of young people. Last summer we launched a campaign, Students Over Banks (studentsoverbanks.org), to educate young people about proposed reforms of the student aid system and to provide them with opportunities and resources to take action. The campaign also featured print and online advertising, and a video ad which aired on CNN, MSNBC, and during Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.” Additionally, we published numerous hard-hitting articles and fact sheets debunking loan industry claims.
We also worked with the United States Student Association, US PIRG, and the Campaign for College Affordability to organize 50 national groups to sign a letter of support for reform, host events, organize days of action, and send tens of thousands of emails, faxes, petition signatures, and tweets to Congress.
To support health care reform, we published numerous articles examining the impact reform would have on young people, and worked as part of the Y.I. Want Change coalition to raise awareness of these issues in the public sphere. Through coordinated action campaigns, events, and lobby days, our coalition mobilized 40,000 young people to take action demanding Congress pass reform. We also had a strong and consistent presence on Capitol Hill, and at rallies, town halls and campus events across the country.
For more information, or to speak to a Campus Progress higher education spokesperson, please contact Katie Andriulli at 202-725-2474 / kandriulli@americanprogress.org.
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Campus Progress is the youth division of the Center for American Progress, a nonpartisan, nonprofit progressive organization. Through programs in activism, journalism, and events, Campus Progress helps young people make their voices heard now on issues that matter, and works with young leaders and organizations nationwide to build a strong, united progressive movement that can bring long-term positive change. Campus Progress runs a daily web magazine, CampusProgress.org; supports student publications on 50 campuses; supports local and national youth issue campaigns; and has held over 700 events and film screenings. For more information, please visit Campusprogress.org.
