News Release

ECONOMISTS, LABOR LEADERS: ECONOMY NEEDS SUBSTANTIAL, STRATEGIC, SUSTAINED $900B OR MORE BOOST OVER TWO YEARS

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:23:37 -0800

WASHINGTON – The economy needs at least a $900 billion boost over the next two years, according to a detailed economic recovery plan released today by more than a hundred economists and dozens of labor and public interest leaders who represent more than 20 million Americans.

With payrolls plunging, retail sales dropping and manufacturing contracting, the Campaign for America’s Future today released a statement signed by 127 economists, 27 major labor leaders and 59 public interest organizations, outlining a “substantial, strategic, and sustained” program for economic recovery. The statement, released on a conference call with reporters today, calls for a floor of $450 billion a year for the next two years. Given the severity of the recent financial crisis, they argue that $450 billion a year over two years should be considered the “floor” of any plan.

The plan stresses that investments be made in areas vital to the economy – in energy efficiency and renewable energy, in modernizing our collapsing infrastructure and in expanding pre-kindergarten and college affordability. It urges aid to states and localities to avoid devastating layoffs, and assistance to the low wage workers most impacted by the downturn.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said these investments should be made as soon as possible and not only continue for two years, but be sustained with needed investments afterwards.

“Congress must know by now that the time for delay, for half-measures, for one-off rebates is over. We need a substantial, strategic and sustained plan to get this economy going,” said Borosage. “President Obama has the moment, the mandate, and the majority to drive fundamental reform over this next period. It is vital that citizen leaders not sit by passively, but help define the course and clear the way.”

University of Texas professor and economist James Galbraith joined Borosage on today’s call. Galbraith said these investments will have a greater return on investment in generating jobs and growth than tax cuts, and should be the centerpiece of a strategic recovery plan.

“Economic recovery in an existential crisis like this means actually building a new economy,” said Galbraith. “For that, we need investment—to restore our roads, rails, transit, broadband, and water systems, to build parks and museums and libraries, to protect the environment.”

United Steelworkers president and AFL-CIO executive council chair Leo Gerard also joined Borosage on today’s call. Gerard said signers of today’s statement will mobilize a major educational effort to encourage Congress to act rapidly to create a plan ready for President-elect Barack Obama to sign on day one, noting that “substantial action to get the real economy going is long overdue.”

# # #

**For a copy and summary of today’s economic statement and a complete list of signers, please visit http://ourfuture.org/mainstreetrecovery .**

MAIN STREET ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN
http://ourfuture.org/mainstreetrecovery

Breakdown of the investments outlined in the economic plan (investment area -- first year, second year. Figures in billions):

--Green investments -- 50, 50
--Infrastructure -- 75, 150
--Aid to states -- 50, 75
--Education -- 40, 40
--Research and development -- 5, 10
--Health care -- 15, 55
--Unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidy -- 15, 15
--Food stamps -- 15, 15
--Poverty reduction -- 40, 40
--Middle-class tax cut -- 145, -
--Total over two years -- 900

More than 127 economists, 27 major labor leaders and 59 public interest organizations signed the Campaign for America’s Future’s economic plan. Signers include:

--John Sweeney, president, AFL-CIO
--Andrew Stern, president, SEIU
--Gerald McEntee, international president, AFSCME
--Anna Burger, chair, Change to Win
--Ron Gettelfinger, president, UAW
--Dennis van Roekel, president, NEA
--Leo Gerard, international president, USW
--Mike Wessell, senior advisor, Alliance for American Manufacturing
--Robert Borosage, co-director, Campaign for America's Future
--David Bonior, chair, American Rights at Work
--James Galbraith, economist
--Robert Johnson, economist
--Heidi Hartmann, President, Institute for Women’s Policy Research
--Jane D'Arista, Financial Markets Center
--Robert Kuttner, co-editor, The American Prospect and Demos senior fellow
--Julie Matthaei, Professor of Economics, Wellesley College
--Jeff Faux, economist, Economic Policy Institute
--Dean Baker, economist, Center for Economic and Policy Research
--Carl Pope, director, Sierra Club

CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS DELIVER A PROGRESSIVE MANDATE

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON – Twenty-six out of the 29 Democratic candidates who won seats previously held by Republicans in the House and Senate championed bold progressive economic positions, according to a new report released today by the Campaign for America’s Future. The report shows that these progressive candidates’ victories represent a swing to the left of 34 votes in the House and 10 in the Senate, reflecting a clear mandate for progressive change.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., newly elected Rep.-Elect Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, and AFL-CIO political director Karen Ackerman joined Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage on a conference call with reporters today to discuss the report’s findings.

“This was not simply a change election. It was a sea-change election that marks the end of the conservative era that has dominated our politics over the past three decades.” said Borosage. “Democrats won because they campaigned as progressives, not as moderates or conservatives. On core economic issues, voters gave these legislators a mandate for reform.”

Sen. Brown said candidates that won last night were unified around a common set of bold progressive themes.

“This election ushered in the next progressive era for our nation,” said Sen. Brown. “From health care to trade to education, progressive values will now be the priority in Washington. It’s time to get to work.”

Rep. Edwards, who easily won re-election last night, campaigned with several candidates in close races across the country. Rep. Edwards said the candidates she campaigned with embraced bold progressive positions on every major economic issue.

“Candidates across the country ran and won on a bold progressive agenda,” said Edwards. “Now our challenge is to govern on the progressive agenda – including smart investment in jobs, in infrastructure, in health care and energy, and bringing a safe and responsible end to the war in Iraq. It’s an exciting time and I am confident that we will be able to set priorities to deliver the bold solutions Americans expect.”

Rep.-Elect Pingree, who became the first woman to represent Maine’s first Congressional District after leading Republican Charlie Summers in late results, said voters in her district were yearning for bold progressive change.

“This is day one of the change that we so desperately need in this country,” said Rep.-Elect Pingree.

To distinguish progressive candidates from conservatives and moderates, the CAF report compared the positions of the candidates on six major economic issues, including health care, workers’ rights, tax policy, trade, Social Security and clean energy. Out of the 29 Democrats who won House and Senate seats previously held by Republicans, 21 House candidates and 5 Senate candidates supported the progressive position on at least five out of the six issues. Only three of the winning candidates chose to run on a more conservative platform.

# # #

**NOTE: An electronic copy of the post-election report is available at www.ourfuture.org/progressive-mandate-2008.**

PROGRESSIVE ISSUE POSITIONS OF DEMOCRATS WHO WON
SEATS PREVIOUSLY HELD BY REPUBLICANS

--Sen.-Elect Mark Udall, D-Colo.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Sen.-Elect Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Sen.-Elect Tom Udall, D-N.M.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Sen.-Elect Kay Hagan, D-N.C.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Sen.-Elect Mark Warner, D-Va.: health care, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Bobby Bright, D-Ala.: trade, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Betsy Markey, D-Colo.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Jim Hines, D-Conn.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Alan Grayson, D-Fla.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes,
--Rep.-Elect Suzanne Kosmas, D-Fla.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Walt Minnick, D-Idaho: health care, trade, energy, worker rights,
--Rep.-Elect Debbie Halvorson, D-Ill.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Frank Kratovil, D-Md.: health care, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Mark Schauer, D-Mich.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Gary Peters, D-Mich.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Dina Titus, D-Nev.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect John Adler, D-N.J.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Harry Teague, D-N.M.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Michael McMahon, D-N.Y.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Dan Maffei, D-N.Y.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Eric Massa, D-N.Y.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Larry Kissell, D-N.C.: trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Steve Driehaus, D-Ohio: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect John Boccieri, D-Ohio: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Kathy Dahlkemper, D-Pa.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Glenn Nye, D-Va.: health care, energy, worker rights, Soc. Sec.
--Rep.-Elect Gerry Connolly, D-Va.: health care, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Senate candidate Al Franken, D-Minn.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.
--Senate candidate Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.: health care, trade, energy, worker rights, taxes, Soc. Sec.

WAR ROOM OPERATION TO TRACK CHANGES IN ECONOMY; DELIVER TALKING POINTS AND SOLUTIONS

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:00:00 -0700

WASHINGTON – The Campaign for America’s Future launched an economic war room today to help frame the ongoing debate as the economy changes at an increasing pace and continues to get worse for millions of Americans. The operation will deliver daily poll-tested talking points to candidates, elected officials, talk show hosts, columnists, bloggers, labor leaders, activists and others, tying the latest research by think tanks like the EPI Policy Center to the latest opinion research by top strategists.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said the alerts will include a set of persuasive facts and arguments on key issues, linking to a comprehensive analysis of solutions to economic problems on people’s minds.

“The change in the economy has been abrupt and serious,” said Borosage. “Economic issues are obviously on everyone’s mind, so it’s important to understand what is happening and to have messages that can move people. Our effort provides real policy alternatives to the political messaging already out there.”

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake and Drew Westen, an Emory University professor who has studied the way Americans think about issues and make decisions, are advising Borosage on messages they have tested and measured for impact. Lake and Westen joined Borosage on a conference call with reporters today to launch the messaging project.

Lake said on today’s call that Americans are increasingly convinced the country is on the edge of a recession and that Washington is not responding adequately.

“Economic problems are creating deep discontent across America,” said Lake. “The American Dream is slipping away and people want leaders to focus on kitchen-table issues like jobs, education, health care, housing and retirement. They are to ready to support our ideas if we present our values and policy solutions in a compelling way.”

Westen said Americans, whether Democratic or Republican, are persuaded more by emotions and values than by a laundry list of issues so policy arguments must be linked to broader themes to connect with them.

“Progressives typically bombard people with a laundry list of issues and policy positions, while conservatives offer them emotionally compelling appeals, whether to their values or prejudices,” said Westen. “The war room is designed to change that.”

The need for the economic war room became clear when the Campaign for America’s Future met with dozens of elected officials and progressive leaders to discuss economic messaging. The group found that opinion leaders were better versed at political messages but less so on solutions and effective ways of communicating them. To fill that gap, more than 3,000 federal- and state-elected officials and 3,000 activists are already receiving alerts from the economic war room.

# # #

**NOTE: Media representatives interested in more details about the economic war room should visit www.ourfuture.org/makingsense. Anyone interested in receiving real-time alerts, may do so by signing up on the website.**

THE RIGHT-WING BLOCK-AND-BLAME STRATEGY IS THE REAL STORY OF THE 110TH CONGRESS, REPORT SAYS

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0700

WASHINGTON – Republicans in Congress, working in concert with the White House, organized a deliberate political strategy to sabotage the Democratic majority in Congress as it responded to a mandate to solve major problems facing the nation, according to a new report released today by the Campaign for America’s Future. With the American public registering overwhelming disapproval of the job Congress is doing, the facts in today’s report show that Republicans are to blame.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said that the reputation of the Congress would be very different had the Republican minority and President Bush not orchestrated a systematic campaign of obstruction to bottle up any progress.

“Now this is sort of like knee-capping the postman and then complaining that the mail is late,” said Borosage. “As Republicans posture about the do-nothing Congress, it's worth remembering that much would have gotten done had they not been in the way.”

The report shows that the Republican strategy forced a record number of cloture votes — 94 so far — that require a super-majority of sixty votes to end filibusters. This was reinforced by more than 119 veto threats by President Bush, essentially repealing majority rule. Never before has an ideological minority obstructed so many important measures from becoming law.

If Republicans had not adopted this strategy, majorities in both the House and the Senate favored passage of the following:

--WAR IN IRAQ: Setting a date certain to bring the occupation of Iraq to an end, freeing up the $12 billion a month in direct costs (almost a half-billion dollars a day) for vital needs here at home, and insuring that soldiers are guaranteed adequate rest and recovery between deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan;

--ENERGY: Investing billions in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, creating green-collar jobs, and paying for it by repealing subsidies for oil companies already pocketing the greatest profits in recorded history;

--HEALTH CARE: Providing health care for millions of children of working and poor families, giving them with a chance for a healthy start to life, and saving seniors tens of billions of dollars in prescription drug prices by empowering Medicare to negotiate bulk purchase discounts.

# # #

**NOTE: An electronic copy of the report is available at www.ourfuture.org/obstruction.**

State of the Union 2008

Toby Chaudhuri — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:22:00 -0800

WASHINGTON -- President Bush is expected to address problems in the nation’s economy while hailing the state of the union as strong tonight, but for Americans worrying about how to make ends meet, the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to numbers compiled today by the Campaign for America’s Future.

ON INCOMES:

-- Median household income in 2000 (inflation-adjusted): $49,158
-- Median household income in 2006: $48,201
-- 8-year increase in median household income in 2001: $6,000
-- 6-year decrease in median household income in 2007: $1,100
[U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 - 2007]

-- Salary of a full-time minimum wage employee without vacation: $12,168
-- Average salary of a CEO of one of America’s top 500 companies: $15.2 million
[Forbes Magazine, May 3, 2007]

-- Number of Americans living in poverty in 2001: 31.6 million
-- Number of Americans living in poverty in 2008: 36.5 million
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

-- Amount more Americans earned than spent in 2001: +2.3 percent
-- Amount less Americans are earning than spending in 2008: -0.5 percent
[Bureau of Economic Analysis]

-- Total consumer credit debt in 2001: $7.65 trillion
-- Total consumer credit debt in 2008: $12.8 trillion
[Insurance Information Institute]

-- Decrease in median income from 2000-2006 in White American households: $745
-- Decrease in median income from 2000-2006 in African American households: $2,766
-- Decrease in median income from 2000-2006 in Hispanic American households: $1,043
-- Decrease in median income from 2000-2006 in Asian American households: $1,381
[U.S. Census Bureau. Aug. 2007]

-- Median income of African American households in 2006: $31,969
-- Median income of Hispanic American households in 2006: $37,781
-- Median income of White American households in 2006: $50,673
-- Median income of Asian American households in 2006: $63,900
[U.S. Census Bureau. Aug. 2007]

-- African Americans living in poverty in 2006: 24.3 percent
-- Hispanic Americans living in poverty in 2006: 20.6 percent
-- Asian Americans living in poverty in 2006: 10.1 percent
-- White Americans living in poverty in 2006: 8.2 percent
[U.S. Census Bureau. Aug. 2007]

ON HOUSING:

-- Percentage increase in home foreclosures in the last year: 68
[RealtyTrac. Dec. 19, 2007]

ON JOBS:

-- Total number of American manufacturing jobs in 2000: 17,263,000
-- Total number of American manufacturing jobs in 2006: 14,197,000
-- Number of American manufacturing jobs lost between 2000 and 2006: 3,066,000
[Bureau of Labor Statistics]

-- Yearly average number of new private sector jobs created from 1992-2000: 1.76 million
-- Yearly average number of new private sector jobs created from 2001-2008: 369,000
[Bureau of Labor Statistics]

-- Jobless African American workers in Dec. 2007: 9.0 percent
-- Jobless Hispanic American workers in Dec. 2007: 6.3 percent
-- Jobless White American workers in Dec. 2007: 4.4 percent
-- Jobless Asian American workers in Dec. 2007: 3.7 percent
[U.S. Department of Labor Employment Situation Summary, Jan. 4, 2008]

ON ENERGY:

-- Average price of a gallon of home heating oil in Jan. 2000: $1.40
-- Average price of a gallon of home heating oil in Jan. 2008: $3.39
[U.S. Energy Information Administration]

-- Average price of a gallon of gas in Jan. 2000: $1.59
-- Average price of a gallon of gas in Jan. 2008: $3.14
[U.S. Energy Information Administration]

-- Increase in the average price of home heating oil since Jan. 2000: +142 percent
-- Increase in the average price of gas since Jan. 2000: +98 percent

-- Price of a gallon of home heating oil in the winter of 2001-2002 (inflation adjusted): $1.36
-- Projected price of a gallon of home heating oil in the winter of 2007-2008: $3.32
[Energy Administration, Jan. 2008]

-- Amount of U.S. liquid fuel consumption that was imported in 2001: 52.75 percent
-- Amount of U.S. liquid fuel consumption that is imported in 2008: 60.38 percent
[U.S. Energy Information Administration]

-- Exxon Mobil profits in 2000: $7.9 billion
-- Exxon Mobil profits in 2006: $36.1 billion
-- Exxon Mobil’s profit per second during the second quarter of 2006: $1,318
[CNNMoney.com, July 27, 2006; Fortune500 2006]

ON HEALTHCARE:

-- Americans without health insurance in 2000: 38.4 million
-- Americans without health insurance in 2006: 46.9 million
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

-- Decrease over 2 years in the number of uninsured Americans in 2001: 4.5 million
-- Increase over 6 years in the number of uninsured Americans in 2008: 8.5 million
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

-- Number of children without health insurance: 8.7 million
-- Number of times President Bush vetoed additional health insurance for children: 2
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

-- Americans receiving employment-based health insurance in 2000: 64.2 percent
-- Americans receiving employment-based health insurance in 2006: 59.7 percent
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

-- Annual cost of family health insurance premiums in 2000 (inflation adjusted): $7,643
-- Annual cost of family health insurance premiums in 2006: $11,480
[Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust]

-- Uninsured White Americans in 2006: 10.8 percent
-- Uninsured African Americans in 2006: 20.5 percent
-- Uninsured Asians Americans in 2006: 15.5 percent
-- Uninsured Hispanic Americans in 2006: 34.1 percent
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

ON COLLEGE COSTS:

-- Average cost per year at a public four-year college in 2000: $10,153
-- Average cost per year at a public four-year college in 2006: $13,089
[CollegeBoard, 2007]

-- Average yearly change in tuition costs for public four-year college since 2000: +29 percent
-- Average percent change in median household income during same period: -2 percent
-- Average debt shouldered by 2006 college graduates: $21,000
[The Project on Student Debt, Sept. 2007]

ON IRAQ AND THE MILITARY:

-- Number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq before the “Mission Accomplished” speech in 2003: 139
-- Number of US troops killed in Iraq as of Jan. 2008: 3,907
-- Number of Iraqi deaths after U.S. invasion: 1,139,602
[iCasualties.org., Jan. 3, 2008]

-- Number of US troops wounded in Iraq before the “Mission Accomplished” speech: 542
-- Number of U.S. troops wounded in Iraq as of Jan. 2008: 28,661
[iCasualties.org, Jan. 3, 2008]

-- Amount of total world military spending spent by U.S.: 47 percent
[Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation]

-- Total U.S. military expenditures requested for 2008: $644 billion
-- Total military expenditures of the 10 next top spending countries combined: $446.1 billion
[Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Includes China, Russia, U.K., France, Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, India and Brazil, Feb. 5, 2007]

-- U.S. military base budget in 2001: $297.1 billion
-- US pending military base budget 2008, not including Iraq and Afghanistan: $481.4 billion
[White House Office of Management and Budget, Feb. 5, 2007]

-- U.S. budget spent on military not including Iraq in 2007: 50 percent
-- U.S. budget spent on education in 2007: 6.2 percent
[White House Office of Management and Budget, Feb. 6, 2006.]

-- Number of active duty army divisions rated at the highest readiness levels in 2001: All
-- Number of active duty or reserve brigade in the U.S. considered fully combat ready: 0
[Speaker of the House, Nov. 29, 2007]

ON DEBTS AND DEFICITS:

-- The national debt in 2001: $5.7 trillion
-- The national debt in Jan. 2008: $9.2 trillion
[U.S. Dept. of the Treasury]

-- Monthly U.S. trade deficit in Oct. 2000: $33.8 billion
-- Monthly U.S. trade deficit in Oct. 2007: $57.8 billion
-- U.S. trade deficit in 2000: $380 billion
-- U.S. trade deficit in 2007: $759 billion
[U.S. Census Bureau, Dec. 12, 2007]

-- Value of one Euro in Jan. 2000: $1.01
-- Value of one Euro in Jan. 2008: $1.45
-- Loss of value of the Dollar relative to the Euro from Jan. 2000 to Jan. 2008: 45 percent
[Federal Reserve Statistical Release]

-- Value of an ounce of gold in 2000 (inflation adjusted): $319
-- Value of an ounce of gold in 2008: $892
[GoldPrice.org, Jan. 22 2008]

-- U.S. budget surplus in 2000: +$236 billion
-- U.S. budget deficit in 2007: -$354 billion
[House Office of Management and Budget]

ON PRODUCT AND FOOD SAFETY:

-- Increase in consumer product safety spending from 2000 to 2006: 9 percent
-- Increase in number of U.S. imports from 2000 to 2006: 30 percent
[Consumer Federation of America]

-- Increase in the number of federal food inspections from 2000 to 2006: 8 percent
-- Percentage increase in number of agricultural imports from 2000 to 2006: 39 percent
-- Number of cases of food borne disease outbreaks in 2006: 25,659
[U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Food & Drug Administration, Center for Disease Control]

ON WORLD OPINION:

-- Number of people abroad who viewed America favorably in 2001: 58.3 percent
-- Number of people abroad who viewed America favorably in 2007: 39.2 percent
[Pew Research Center]

-- Number of people in Great Britain who viewed America favorably in 2001: 83 percent
-- Number of people in Great Britain who viewed America favorably in 2007: 56 percent
[Pew Research Center]

-- Number of people in Indonesia who viewed America favorably in 2001: 75 percent
-- Number of people in Indonesia who viewed America favorably in 2007: 30 percent
[Pew Research Center]

-- Number of people in Germany who viewed America favorably in 2001: 78 percent
-- Number of people in Germany who viewed America favorably in 2007: 37 percent
[Pew Research Center]

President Expected To Sign The Largest Increase In Student Aid Since The G.I. Bill

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:00:00 -0700

WASHINGTON – Congress sent the College Cost Reduction and Access Act to the president yesterday for his signature, providing the largest increase in student aid since the G.I. Bill. The bill reduces $20 billion in subsidies to banks and other student loan providers and redirects the funds to students. The Bush administration, despite earlier threats to veto the legislation, is expected to sign it this week.

If President Bush signs the measure, changes will begin to take effect on Monday, Oct. 1, providing welcome news for families struggling with tuition and fees that are rising far faster than inflation while real wages remain stagnant. New government data shows that the cost of college is soaring out of the reach of more and more American families, according to a report recently released by the Campaign for America’s Future.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage, whose group helped rally support for the legislation, hailed the bill as an expression of how progressives are increasingly driving the national debate.

“A majority of Americans stand with progressives and they’re defining a new direction in Congress,” said Borosage. “This is an important first step for students and their families, accomplished over the president’s opposition. We still have a long way to go if we are to insure that college is affordable for all. No student should be priced out of the college or advanced training they need to succeed in this economy.”

The bill cuts interest rates on student loans in half, from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent over 5 years, making student loan repayment more manageable. Importantly, it guarantees that borrowers will never spend more than 15 percent of their yearly income on loan repayments and will have their loans forgiven after 25 years. The legislation also provides upfront tuition for good students who commit to teach in high needs schools upon graduation and provides loan forgiveness for a range of other public service employees.

The new legislation would increase the amount students receive in Pell Grant scholarships to $5,400 a year by 2012, up from $4,050 in 2006. Unlike other forms of financial aid, students do not have to repay Pell Grants. Eligibility for the grant is based on family income.

The Campaign for America’s Future report shows that undergraduate tuition and fees for a public four-year institution increased by 37 percent over the last six years, while median household incomes fell in that same period.

# # #

**NOTE: To obtain an electronic copy of the report on college affordability and state-specific data, please visit http://www.ourfuture.org/issues_and_campaigns/education/index.cfm .**

STATE-BY-STATE INCREASES IN STUDENT AID

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 will provide increased college aid for students across the country. State-specific increases in aid follow.

Total Pell Grant aid this year

Additional loan aid over 5 years

Additional grant aid next school year

Additional grant aid over the next 5 school years

Alabama

$275,800,000

$106,299,000

$39,963,000

$433,895,000

Alaska

$11,900,000

$6,331,000

$1,720,000

$18,679,000

Arizona

$515,100,000

$388,432,000

$74,643,000

$810,426,000

Arkansas

$162,200,000

$53,636,000

$23,509,000

$255,252,000

California

$1,560,900,000

$579,257,000

$226,174,000

$2,455,671,000

Colorado

$202,600,000

$147,185,000

$29,360,000

$318,774,000

Connecticut

$91,700,000

$72,746,000

$13,290,000

$144,297,000

Delaware

$21,900,000

$16,889,000

$3,179,000

$34,513,000

District of Columbia

$50,000,000

$91,655,000

$7,239,000

$78,592,000

Florida

$742,800,000

$336,450,000

$107,628,000

$1,168,563,000

Georgia

$411,300,000

$211,843,000

$59,606,000

$647,164,000

Hawaii

$31,100,000

$13,423,000

$4,506,000

$48,925,000

Idaho

$83,600,000

$27,831,000

$12,120,000

$131,588,000

Illinois

$531,700,000

$375,919,000

$77,048,000

$836,540,000

Indiana

$338,000,000

$176,150,000

$48,981,000

$531,803,000

Iowa

$194,700,000

$124,021,000

$28,214,000

$306,334,000

Kansas

$132,700,000

$73,716,000

$19,222,000

$208,703,000

Kentucky

$221,300,000

$84,869,000

$32,074,000

$348,240,000

Louisiana

$248,500,000

$88,569,000

$36,001,000

$390,883,000

Maine

$49,700,000

$26,890,000

$7,200,000

$78,172,000

Maryland

$170,300,000

$102,603,000

$24,681,000

$267,973,000

Massachusetts

$198,200,000

$210,540,000

$28,716,000

$311,778,000

Michigan

$429,800,000

$245,416,000

$62,279,000

$676,185,000

Minnesota

$185,500,000

$190,779,000

$26,873,000

$291,776,000

Mississippi

$218,900,000

$56,357,000

$31,720,000

$344,398,000

Missouri

$265,200,000

$179,573,000

$38,422,000

$417,164,000

Montana

$47,900,000

$20,507,000

$6,938,000

$75,333,000

Nebraska

$67,500,000

$51,944,000

$9,775,000

$106,131,000

Nevada

$41,200,000

$19,329,000

$5,966,000

$64,778,000

New Hampshire

$32,300,000

$34,320,000

$4,678,000

$50,793,000

New Jersey

$276,200,000

$114,801,000

$40,027,000

$434,592,000

New Mexico

$110,200,000

$27,904,000

$15,968,000

$173,370,000

New York

$1,067,300,000

$538,493,000

$154,657,000

$1,679,172,000

North Carolina

$395,900,000

$148,147,000

$57,365,000

$622,832,000

North Dakota

$36,500,000

$21,163,000

$5,288,000

$57,415,000

Ohio

$507,200,000

$304,629,000

$73,492,000

$797,939,000

Oklahoma

$203,100,000

$81,649,000

$29,426,000

$319,487,000

Oregon

$161,000,000

$97,968,000

$23,325,000

$253,255,000

Pennsylvania

$480,900,000

$421,365,000

$69,685,000

$756,596,000

Rhode Island

$53,900,000

$42,651,000

$7,811,000

$84,803,000

South Carolina

$199,300,000

$81,688,000

$28,872,000

$313,476,000

South Dakota

$43,200,000

$24,529,000

$6,259,000

$67,953,000

Tennessee

$269,500,000

$125,708,000

$39,045,000

$423,926,000

Texas

$1,129,900,000

$397,621,000

$163,722,000

$1,777,598,000

Utah

$156,200,000

$44,845,000

$22,634,000

$245,746,000

Vermont

$21,700,000

$26,681,000

$3,150,000

$34,203,000

Virginia

$247,900,000

$154,493,000

$35,924,000

$390,043,000

Washington

$212,300,000

$108,235,000

$30,758,000

$333,955,000

West Virginia

$103,300,000

$47,761,000

$14,970,000

$162,537,000

Wisconsin

$169,800,000

$117,636,000

$24,602,000

$267,116,000

Wyoming

$22,500,000

$14,989,000

$3,254,000

$35,329,000

[SOURCES: Estimates by Senate HELP Committee and House Education and Labor Committee, based on data from the Congressional Budget Office, the Congressional Research Service, and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.]

Estudiantes Hispanos Pagan Las Consecuencias De Alza En Costos De La Universidad

Toby Chaudhuri — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:00:00 -0700

WASHINGTON — Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., y Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., se unieron ayer con Robert Borosage, co-director del Campaign for America's Future, y Brent Wilkes, director ejecutivo de la Liga de Ciudadanos Latinoamericanos Unidos, para una conferencia instando al Congreso a que tome medidas para bajar los obstáculos financieros a la universidad y asegurar que estudiantes hispanos con meritos no sean negados la educación superior porque no pueden costear los gastos.

Los participantes de la conferencia sacaron un nuevo informe del Campaign for America's Future que muestra que el precio total para un estudiante por un año en una universidad pública de cuatro años ahora consume un tercio del ingreso familiar mediano de los hispanos, comparado con un cuarto para una familia blanca, no-hispana.

El precio promedio de asistir a una universidad pública de cuatro años ha subido 42 por ciento en la escala nacional desde el 2000, dejando a los estudiantes con un alza en el precio de $2,786. Durante el mismo periodo, según los nuevos datos del censo, el ingreso familiar mediano ha bajado 2 por ciento en conjunto, y 4 por ciento para los hispanos.

El nuevo informe determina que mientras el precio de la universidad está aumentando más rápido que la inflación, los salarios reales se están estancando, la ayuda federal se está disminuyendo y los estados están reduciendo su apoyo a las universidades, millones de estudiantes no están asistiendo a la universidad, están dejando los estudios, o están incurriendo en deudas graves.

"Los recortes en los programas de prestamos para estudiantes no son un accidente," dijo Robert Borosage, co-director de Campaign for America's Future. "Esto es una expresión directa del compromiso conservador de desmantelar el gobierno. Desde la educación superior hasta cuidados de la salud, conservadores argumentan que 'Tu estas solo,' pero para estudiantes Latinos sin la buena fortuna de nacer privilegiados, esto significa cerrar la puerta a oportunidades, debido al alto costo que esto implica a este pais."

"La educación es la llave para una mejor vida y para un futuro éxitoso," dijo la congresista Solís. "Pero para la mayoría de los estudiantes Latinos el costo y la ayuda financiera son grandes factores cuando están haciendo decisiones sobre su educación universitaria. Por esa razón es vergonzoso que el liderazgo republicano haya recortado programas federales de ayuda financiera por más de $12 billones cuando el costo de ir a la universidad sigue aumentando. En este momento cuando nuestros estudiantes Latinos están siendo dejados atrás, necesitamos trabajar duramente para hacer que la educación superior sea mas accesible para nuestra comunidad."

"Mientras los estudiantes hispanos intentan sobrellevar los altos precios de la universidad, el Presidente y el Congreso redujeron la ayuda federal para la educación superior," dijo Brent Wilkes, director ejecutivo de LULAC. "Estos gastos están poniendo restricciones para los estudiantes que quieren obtener una educación superior."

Los Pell Grants se han estancado por cuatro años, y la propuesta actual en la Cámara de los Representantes no consigue subir de modo significativo las subvenciones federales, dejando el máximo Pell Grant a $800 menos en dólares constantes de lo que eran hace 30 años.

"A lo largo del país, el costo creciente de asistir una universidad publica, combinado con el valor máximo disminuido de las becas Pell, han limitado las oportunidades universitarias para un gran número de estudiantes latinos y de bajos recursos", afirmó el Rep. Grijalva. "Sin embargo, en vez de ayudar a los 1.8 millones de estudiantes latinos en instituciones que otorgan un grado superior, los republicanos han imposibilitado la capacidad de pago universitario al recortar 12 mil millones de programas federales de ayuda estudiantil. El congreso debe recuperar el valor real de la asistencia federal al recortar el interés de préstamos estudiantiles por la mitad, y al reinvertir en el programa de becas Pell. Solo así podremos empezar la ayuda a estudiantes para que se superen de la carga de las deudas, y realicen sus sueños de asistir a la universidad".

El nuevo informe documenta los crecientes obstáculos financiaros a la educación superior e incluye un cuadro de los votos principales sobre la accesibilidad de la universidad, con una nota para cada miembro del Congreso basada en sus votos. El informe también documenta las contribuciones a campañas de cada miembro del Congreso por los gigantes en la industria de préstamos estudiantiles, Sallie Mae y Nelnet.

# # #

**Se puede encontrar una copia del informe en http://home.ourfuture.org/education/soaring-out-of-reach.html .**

Hispanic Families Hit Hard With Soaring Tuition Costs Far Outpacing Inflation, Wages

Toby Chaudhuri — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 21:00:00 -0700

WASHINGTON - College is getting priced out of the reach of more Latino students, according to a new report released by the Campaign for America's Future today. The full cost of college for one year at a public university now consumes one third of the annual median household income for Hispanics compared to one-quarter of annual median household income for a non-Hispanic, white family.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., and Rep. Hilda L. Solis, D-Calif., joined Campaign for America's Future co-director Robert Borosage and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Executive Director Brent Wilkes on a conference call with reporters today to release the new report and to call on Congress to take steps to make college affordable and ensure that deserving Hispanic students are not priced out of college.

The report details how rising costs, stagnant incomes and flagging public assistance are pricing college out of the reach of more Latino students. And that is why it is particularly unconscionable that the Congress, in this year's budget, slashed $12 billion out of the student loan program, even while interest rates on student and parent loans were hiked, and the level of Pell grants remained frozen for the fifth straight year. College costs are soaring out of reach - and Congress acted to make things worse.

The average cost of attending a public four-year college has increased 42 percent nationwide since 2000, sticking students with a $2,786 hike in costs. Over the same period, the latest Census data show that median family income has fallen 4 percent for Hispanics and 2 percent overall.

The new report finds that with tuition costs rising far faster than inflation, real wages still stagnating, federal assistance shrinking and states cutting back institutional support, millions of students are therefore foregoing college, dropping out, or incurring serious debt.

"The cuts in student loan programs aren't an accident," said Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America's Future. "They are a direct expression of the conservative commitment to dismantling government. From college to health care, conservatives argue that 'You are on your own,' but for Latino students without the good fortune of being born to privilege, this is shutting the door on opportunity, at great cost to this country.

"Education is the key to a better life and success," said Rep. Solis on the call. "For most Latino students college affordability and financial aid are the determining factors when making decisions about their college education. Therefore, it is disgraceful that the Republican leadership slashed federal student aid by $12 billion while college costs keep skyrocketing. At a time when our Latino students are being left behind, we need to work harder to make higher education more affordable and maintain programs that help students pay for college." "As Hispanic students try to cope with soaring college costs, the president and Congress have cut federal assistance for higher education," said LULAC Executive Director Brent Wilkes, who joined Borosage and Rep. Solis on today's call. "These increasing costs are increasingly putting higher education out of reach for hard working Latinos."

Pell Grants have stagnated for four years, and the president's current proposal before the House of Representatives fails to raise meaningfully the federal awards, putting the maximum Pell Grant at $800 less in constant dollars than it was 30 years ago.

Rep. Grijalva noted that across the country, the rising costs of attending a four-year public college coupled with the diminished value of the maximum Pell Grant have limited the college opportunities for many low income and Latino students.

"Rather than helping the 1.8 million Latino students at degree-granting institutions, Republicans have made it harder to pay for college by cutting billions from federal student aid programs," said Rep. Grijalva. "Congress must restore the real value of federal aid by cutting the student loan interest rate in half and re-investing in the Pell Grant Program. Only then, can we begin to help students overcome debt burden and realize their dreams of going to college." The new report documenting the rising financial barriers to higher education includes a record of key college affordability votes along with a letter grade for each member of Congress based on their voting record. The report also documents campaign contributions made by the student loan industry giants Sallie Mae and Nelnet to each member of Congress.

# # #

**NOTE: Media representatives interested in a copy of the new reports can obtain a copy at http://home.ourfuture.org/education/soaring-out-of-reach.html .**

Groups Nationwide Making Rising Cost Of College An Election Year Issue

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:00:00 -0700

WASHINGTON -- Responding to public outrage about soaring college costs, a sharp rise in college loan interest rates and cuts to federal college aid programs, many organizations and activists are mobilizing voters across the nation to make college affordability a critical issue in November’s midterm elections. These organizations represent millions of students, parents, recent college graduates and educators.

Citizen groups around the country are working to increase dialogue on college affordability and to press candidates to share their positions on the issue. Groups including the Campaign for America’s Future, the US Student Association, USAction, Campus Progress at the Center for American Progress and the National Education Association are releasing reports, launching online campaigns, communicating with the public and holding events at college campuses and in hundreds of communities to raise public awareness about this critical issue.

A new poll released last month by Young Voter Strategies reveals that education and college affordability are the top issues concerning young voters heading into the November midterm elections. With fully three-quarters of respondents indicating that a candidate's position on college affordability is important in determining their vote, young voters will be holding Congress accountable at the ballot box this November.

"As students are heading into midterm exams with record-high debt burdens, members of Congress are entering their midterms with a similarly formidable challenge,” said Robert Borosage, co-director of Campaign for America's Future. “How can they defend their votes for the largest cut ever to college aid programs in the face of the exploding cost of college? It’s going to be a hard test to pass.”Since 2000, the average cost of attending a four-year public college has increased over 40 percent, causing millions of students to forgo college, drop out or incur serious debt. Yet earlier this year, Congress cut $12 billion in student aid, allowed interest rates on college loans to spike, and failed to raise the maximum Pell grant. "Students are suffering the consequences of policies that place even more barriers between them and the college education they need to succeed in today's competitive global economy," said Jennifer Pae, United States Student Association president. "As students are forced to spend thousands of more dollars due to increasing college costs, stagnant financial aid levels, and the largest cuts in the history of the student loan programs, students across the country are taking education and college affordability as their issue to mobilize around this election."With four weeks until the elections, groups around the country are calling attention to the importance of college affordability and candidates’ voting records and positions on the issue.

USAction affiliates in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, West Virginia and Wisconsin are leading a series of public events to demand that Congress invest in America's future by making critical new commitments to America's students. USAction is also coordinating similar activities with partners in Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and elsewhere with help from national allies in the Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities (ECAP).

The Campaign for America’s Future released a report last month, based on new Census data, finding that the full cost of college for one year at a public university now consumes 25 percent of the annual median household income in America. The report also includes a record of key college affordability votes along with a letter grade for each member of Congress based on their voting record. The United States Student Association (USSA) is running the Students Vote 2006 Campaign in six key states, California, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, to register, educate and turn out students on Election Day.

USSA is also urging the Department of Education to prioritize the needs of students when making changes to student loan programs, the SMART/ACG grants and the Higher Education Act. USSA is holding press conferences and collecting student debt stories to emphasize the failure of our government’s priorities on education. This student advocacy group will also be providing testimonials at the Negotiated Rule Making hearings on November 2 at the Royal Pacific Hotel Conference Center in Orlando, Florida, and November 8 at the Department of Education office in Washington, D.C.

The national USSA Board of Directors will also be heading to the Hill on October 19 to ensure that Congress will maintain its promise for a $7 billion increase to the Labor HHS bill to maintain its current funds for higher education programs and to suppress the Voter ID bill which disenfranchises student voters.

Campus Progress, working with its network of students across the country, has launched a nationwide "Debt Hits Hard" campaign. They’re pressing for three key changes: ending corporate welfare that wastes billions of taxpayer dollars in subsidies to banks; easing the debt burden on students and families by cutting student loan interest rates in half; and making financial aid more effective and accessible for American families by raising the maximum Pell Grant to $5,100 and raising awareness of financial aid resources in low-income communities. Student campaigns will focus on letter-writing and campus speaking events and will utilize three hard-hitting videos produced by Campus Progress. For more information and to view the videos, visit www.DebtHitsHard.org

The College Democrats of America launched an online resource guide last month, enabling students to participate in “Reverse the Raid on Student Aid” programming. The resource guide equips College Democrats with the tools they need to host events on their campuses. The goals of these programs are to raise issue awareness, increase membership, and allow students to take an active role the passage of HR 5150, which would cut interest rates on college loans in half. Young Democrats of America's chapters will host three Political Action Days, including Election Day November 7, to educate young people on issues such as college affordability and to get young people to the polls to vote for change.

Student groups around the country are inviting members of Congress to their campuses to discuss college affordability. Students at Indiana University, Ohio State University, the University of Connecticut, Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania have already helped to increase political dialogue in this way.

###

**NOTE: A transcript of the conference call is available here. The audio recording of the conference call is available here.**

Sen. Kennedy, Rep. Miller Outline Plan For College Affordability

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 21:00:00 -0700

WASHINGTON - With millions of students back in school, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., joined Campaign for America's Future co-director Robert Borosage on a teleconference call today calling on Congress to reverse the raid on student aid and ensure that deserving students are not priced out of college.

Participants on the call released a series of state and national reports by the Campaign for America's Future that show that according to new Census data the cost of attending a public, four-year college in America has increased 42 percent since President Bush took office, while median family income has fallen 2 percent. Still, the Congress cut $12 billion from federal student assistance and allowed interest rates on college loans to rise this year.

"The conservative ideology of shrinking essential government programs, privatization, corruption and cronyism has put college out of reach for many young Americans," said Borosage. "Under their rule, conservatives have let the value of federal grants decline precipitously while allowing interest rates on student loans to rise sharply, pricing too many qualified students out of college."

The new report finds that with tuition costs rising far faster than inflation, real wages still stagnating, federal assistance to students and parents shrinking and states cutting back institutional support, millions of students are foregoing college, dropping out or incurring serious debt. The full cost of college for one student for one year at a public university now consumes 25 percent of the median household income in America.

Sen. Kennedy emphasized the importance of college education in the competitive global economy.

"Parents know that a college education is the key to good jobs for their children," said Sen. Kennedy, the senior Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in the Senate. "But today, more and more parents worry that their children will be denied that opportunity because they simply can't afford a college degree. The American dream is at risk if we don't act to make college more affordable for our families and give our students the tools they need to succeed."

Sen. Kennedy has introduced the Student Aid Reward (STAR) to generate $13 billion in new Pell Grants for students over the next 10 years - at no cost to taxpayers - by encouraging schools to switch to the government's less expensive loan program. He has also introduced the Student Debt Relief Act, which would increase the Pell Grant, cut student loan interest rates in half, and expand the income-contingent repayment program for student loans, so no borrower has to put more than 15 percent of their monthly income toward their loan payments.

Rep. Miller, who introduced the Reverse the Raid on Student Act to cut interest rates on college loans in half, outlined the Democrat's plan to put America back on track in educating the next generation.

"Cutting college financial aid is clearly the wrong direction for our students and our economy at a time when we should be doing all we can to increase college attendance and strengthen our nation's workforce. Democrats believe that investing in education and innovation is essential to ensuring a bright and successful economic future, and we are deeply committed to making college more affordable," said Rep. Miller, the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. "We need to go in a new direction that guarantees that no qualified student is ever prevented from going to college because the price is too high."

As students try to cope with soaring college costs, the President and Congress have slashed federal assistance for higher education. In February, the Bush administration cut $12 billion from the federal student loan program, the largest cut to the program in history. Pell Grants have stagnated for four years, and the President's current proposal before the House of Representatives fails to meaningfully raise the federal awards, putting the maximum Pell Grant at $800 less in constant dollars than it was 30 years ago.

The new report documenting the rising financial barriers to higher education includes a record of key college affordability votes along with a letter grade for each member of Congress based on their voting record. The report also documents campaign contributions made by student loan industry giants Sallie Mae and Nelnet to each member of Congress.

# # #

**NOTE: Media representatives interested in a copy of the state-specific and national reports can obtain a copy at http://home.ourfuture.org/education/soaring-out-of-reach.html .**