If you’re going through your day-to-day life you most likely aren’t tracking all the legislation and political moves that affect the big picture of us as a generation. Don’t worry, that’s why we’re here and all I have to say is yesterday was a huge day for young people. Huge. Why do you ask? Let me tell you:
1) The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3221) passed the House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 253-171. Are you in college, been to college, want to go to college, know someone who wants to/would like to go to college – then this applies to you. The quick recap (but you can read all the details here)
- It will increase the maximum Pell Grant scholarship award to $5,500 in 2010 and to $6,900 by 2019 and linking it to match cost of living increases.
- It lowers interest rates on need-based federal student loans.
- It simplifies the FAFSA form to make it easier to apply for federal student aid.
- It expands access to low-cost Perkins loans.
- The bill invests in community colleges and college-readiness programs.
- And it ends a ridiculous policy that gives banks wasteful subsidies on student loans and use the savings — as much as $87 billion over 10 years — to help students pay for college.
You can say it – yep, that’s pretty great. Now it’s on to the Senate!
2) President Obama finally addressed young people in his rousing address on health care at the University of Maryland yesterday. I was there, imagine about 17,000 students and young people packed into the Comcast Center (where the Terps play basketball) and the President taking his 45 minute speech to directly talk to us as a generation. When was the last time you heard a speech about health care that didn’t include a huge section about senior citizens? (I’ve got nothing but love for my older friends but this health care debate affects ALL of us). Read his remarks here.
Health insurance reform means so much for us – we need it to:
- End discrimination for pre-existing conditions, stop insurance companies from dropping us if we get sick, and cap the amount of money insurance companies charge for co-pays, out-of-pocket expenses, and deductibles;
- Let us stay on our parent’s insurance until we are 26 and let us keep affordable insurance if we change jobs or lose our jobs;
- Give us choices of policies that fit our lifestyle and our budgets in a health insurance exchange (with a public option) and provide assistance to those that still can’t afford insurance.
- Cover preventative care and regular checkups at no cost.
You with us? Sign our pledge to get involved in our campaign.
3) And last but not least – in voter protection news, the Indiana Court of Appeals has struck down the state’s voter ID law. Indiana had one of the worst voter ID laws in the country that primarily affected young people and low income people creating a voting system that was not equal for all of us. It’s a victory in the long fight for equal voting rights for all.
Not bad for one day…
~Mary
