 Tell Senator Richard Lugar: Don't cut off affordable student loans for Indiana's working families. Dear Melissa, Just a few weeks ago, we asked CREDO Action members to engage on the explosive issue of student loans. The response has been amazing, with activists taking more than 318,000 actions to stop Congressional Republicans from doubling the interest rates on federally subsidized student loans. The issue has now become a hot topic in our national political conversation. Just last week Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid joined the fight by taking to the Senate Floor.1 To keep this momentum going we need Senator Richard Lugar to come out in support of the Democratic legislation in the Senate, which freezes for one year the federally subsidized student loan rate at 3.4 percent and prevents it from doubling this summer.2 Voting to keep the interest rates at their current low level should be a no brainer for Senator Lugar since he voted for the College Cost Reduction and Access Act in 2007.3 This week's recess is a perfect time to let him know that as a constituent from Indiana, who is concerned about student loans, you expect Senator Lugar to not let the interest rates double this July: Can you take few minutes and write a short letter to the editor of your local newspaper, to make sure Senator Lugar knows that you will not tolerate any opposition to current Democratic effort to prevent the interest rates on subsidized federal student loans doubling this July? Click here to get started. Our letter to the editor tool makes sending a letter very simple, and we've provided everything you need, including talking points and some tips to help you write an effective letter. The enormous mountain of student debt and skyrocketing college costs is crushing America's working class, and more and more stories are emerging of couples putting off plans for marriage and children to manage their student loan payments.4. As has been pointed out by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, "excessive student debt can slow the recovery of the housing market," and it can "also put added stress on the borrowing capacity of the household and government sector."5 We can't wait. Vocal support from Senator Lugar in favor of keeping the interest rates low for at least one more year will help to cut through the crippling gridlock caused by obstructionism of extreme right wing GOP leaders in Congress. Click here to write a short letter to the editor telling Senator Lugar that he must vote to keep the interest rates on federally subsidized student loans from doubling this July, providing millions of working class Americans with much needed economic relief. Investing in America's future through supporting our students shouldn't be a partisan issue. That said, your letter to editor has the potential to make an impact in what has become a political conversation, since Senator Lugar is up for re-election. With that mind, feel free to remind him that failing to support students could have consequences. Click the link below to get started: http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=6883185&id=39375-4888946-o7cgSSx&t=7. Thank you for taking action to make sure that all students can afford a higher education — including those from Indiana's working class families. Murshed Zaheed, Deputy Political Director
CREDO Action from Working Assets 1. "Reid: An Investment In Education Is An Investment In Our Economy," YouTube, April 23, 2012.
2. "Reed, Harkin, Brown Seek to Keep Student Interest Rates Low," Senator Jack Reed's press release, April 25, 2012.
3. College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 (H.R. 2669 Conference Report), Senate.gov, September 7, 2007.
4. Sue Shellenbarger, "To Pay Off Loans, Grads Put Off Marriage, Children," The Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2012.
5. Rohit Chopra, "Too Big to Fail: Student debt hits a trillion," Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, March 21, 2012. | 
