WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs U.S. Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), and U.S. Representative Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) introduced resolutions in the Senate and House of Representatives supporting efforts to ensure that students have access to debt-free higher education.  Over the last 30 years, the cost of college has increased by 300 percent, forcing some students to take on overwhelming student loan debt or putting a college degree entirely out of reach for others. Student loan debt is now the highest form of personal debt in the nation, reaching over $1.3 trillion for 38 million student loan borrowers across the country.

“A higher education is the best way for people to move up the economic ladder, but the rising cost of college in Hawai‘i and across the country has made it harder for students to earn a degree and get ahead,” said Senator Schatz.  “Our message is clear: we need to do more to make college more affordable for all students so that they can graduate without debt holding them back.  The federal government, states, and schools all have a role to play in cutting the cost of college.  This is a problem we can solve, and we can start by working to make sure institutions receiving federal funding are doing their part to make a degree more affordable and accessible for all students.”

“Going to college is absolutely essential to getting into the middle class and getting ahead once you're there, but far too often it ends up breaking students' banks,” said Senator Schumer.  “When students graduate with loads of debt, the ripple effects are endless; they're less likely to start a business, to buy a house, and to realize their full potential.  When it comes to making college affordable, I'm hopeful that debt-free college is the next big idea."

“A student at a public university today faces tuition prices that are more than 300 percent of what his or her parents faced just 30 years ago, and total outstanding student loan debt now stands at a staggering $1.3 trillion,” said Senator Warren.  “Our country should be investing in higher education and working with colleges and universities to bring down tuition costs so that students don't have to take on crushing debt to get an education.”

“Education remains the single greatest avenue of upward mobility our society has ever known,” said Representative Grijalva.  “But the mounting costs of higher education place it out of reach for too many Americans, holding them back from their full potential or burdening them with unimaginable debt for years to come. In the richest nation on earth, there is no excuse for erecting and maintaining these barriers to professional growth.”

“Americans—young and old—know continuing their education is the best path to a financially secure future. But students who go to college face mountains of debt, and too many face difficult choices about their careers and their families because of it,” said Representative Ellison.  “The Debt Free College Resolution is critical because students shouldn’t be punished for investing in their own future—they should walk across the stage on graduation day and take their diploma into a brighter future.”

“Too many young people I’ve talked to are saddled with insurmountable debt just as they’re beginning their adult lives,” said Representative Clark.  “Congress can and should ensure that students who are working hard to begin their careers, start a family, and contribute to our economy are able to graduate from public colleges debt-free so they can focus on pursuing their dreams rather than being held back by a lifetime of debt."

“We all know a college education is important towards achieving long-term success.  However, an entire generation is being weighed down by more than $1 trillion in student loan debt,” said Representative Pocan.  “It’s time to end the reliance on debt as a way to finance a college education for many low- and middle-income students. I’m proud to stand with my progressive colleagues to fight for the goal of providing debt-free college at public institutions across the country. Debt free college is a big, bold way to ensure every student has a chance at success.”

“Crushing student loan debt is making it harder for graduates to save to buy a house, start their own business, or put money aside for a secure retirement,” said Representative Israel.  “A college education is the most important investment that young people can make and should be viewed as a tool of opportunity rather than a financial burden. That is why I am proud to add my name to this initiative calling for a goal of debt-free college that will hopefully generate more conversation about how to alleviate that financial strain and empower graduates to achieve the American dream.”

“A highly educated workforce is key to the success of our nation. However, higher education has become increasingly inaccessible as costs have skyrocketed,” said Representative Rangel.  “We must ensure that everyone can afford to attend college and become more competitive.  Students should be spending more time focused on thriving at school and less time worrying about how they'll pay for it. I look forward to working with my colleagues to reduce the burden of student loan debt and to help expand opportunities for our future generations.”

“We tell students that education opens the doors of opportunity. But when these students pursue higher education, even at public institutions, they too often graduate saddled with debt that takes decades to payback, keeps them from investing in their families, and suffocates our nation’s economic growth,” said Representative Watson Coleman.  “Like a high school diploma in the past, a college degree has become a virtual prerequisite for a middle class job. We need to make affordable higher education a right for all, not just a privilege for the fortunate.  Congress has the ability to make debt-free higher education a reality, supporting our students and continued American competitiveness.”

“A college education provides opportunities and breaks down inequalities,” said Representative McGovern.  “As a nation, we should encourage and incentivize those who wish to pursue a higher education - not penalize them by saddling them with debt for years to come.”

The resolutions were introduced by the following: U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Donna Edwards (D-Md.), John Conyers (D-Mich.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), Janice Hahn (D-Calif.), Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Mike Honda (D-Calif.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Peter Welch (D-Mass.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), and Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.).

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Washington –Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), along with Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), sent a letter to Secretary Arne Duncan urging the Department of Education to forgive loans incurred by students attending Corinthian Colleges, Inc. Corinthian Colleges is one of the country’s largest for-profit education institutions and is currently under investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for its predatory loan program.

The full text of the letter is available below and a signed copy can be seen here.  

WASHINGTON – Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), along with CPC Members Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Mike Honda (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Janice Hahn (D-CA), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) stand with low-wage workers across the country who will go on strike tomorrow to stand up for higher wages and the right to collectively bargain.

“The Fight for $15 isn’t about a number – it’s about the dignity of a livable wage and the rights of workers to stand together against unfair employment practices,” said Rep. Grijalva. “As workers from across the country continue to rise against unfair – and immoral – treatment, we must recognize that every American forced to accept less than their worth for labor is an American who cannot contribute fully to our economy. We must restore this nation’s role as a land of unbridled opportunity, and that starts by ensuring everyone willing to work full time earns enough to get by.”

“Too many working Americans leave work every night wondering how they’ll make it through the end of the month,” Rep. Ellison said. “But a movement made up of workers from every community in America is growing and today’s nationwide action shows the power of people standing up together. Their demand—$15 and the right to organize—isn’t too much to ask from corporations booking huge profits. I’m proud to stand with the thousands of workers hitting the streets tomorrow and I join them in their demand for dignity on the job.”

“Too many hardworking low-wage workers don’t make enough to keep their families out of poverty,” Rep. Pocan said. “That’s why I’m proud to stand with them in the fight for a living wage and the right to organize. Growing their paychecks will help grow our economy and help working families make ends meet.  No one who works full-time should have to live in poverty.” 

“Everyone deserves the dignity of a living wage. Simply put, the minimum wage keeps families in poverty. I stand with low-wage workers, in the East Bay and across the country, who are raising their voices for economic justice,” Rep. Lee said. “The Fight for $15 movement is built upon the principle of basic fairness. It’s unconscionable that our country continues to subsidize billion-dollar corporations that pay their workers poverty wages. We need economic fairness and greater opportunity so families can lift themselves out of poverty.”

“The single biggest economic issue facing America today is that jobs do not pay enough to live on,” Rep. DeLauro said. “Our middle class is shrinking and our economy is suffering because of it. Working families are struggling to pay their rent, put food on the table and get out of debt. We need to treat workers with the respect they deserve by raising their wages. Doing so is not just the right thing to do, but it is good for businesses and taxpayers. It results in lower turnover and higher productivity, and saves taxpayers money because fewer workers have to rely on government assistance. It is long past time to ensure that workers have decent wages and the right to collectively bargain. We must get this done.”

“When a growing number of workers are paid so little, it slows down the economy for everybody,” Rep. Jackson Lee said. “When workers cannot afford basics -- like groceries, rent, or transportation -- that reduces their purchasing power in their neighborhoods. Higher pay will put more purchasing power into the hands of workers, so they can put more money back into their community, boost the economy, and create more good jobs.”

“All workers deserve a living wage.  I stand with all American workers in their efforts to obtain reasonable pay and the right of workers to organize," Rep. Honda said.  “No one who works full time should be living in poverty.”

“Today, stagnant wages mean that jobs are frequently a tether to poverty instead of a path out of it. And without the right to unionize and negotiate for better pay, an increasing number of full time workers are forced to rely on public assistance,” Rep. Chu said. “As workers all around the nation come together today, we can make positive changes for the millions of hard working employees in industries such as food service and retail. Our workers deserve a wage that helps them stand on their own two feet to support their families; to put food on the table and kids through college. I am proud to join them in their fight for the fifteen!”

“I support local and national efforts by working families and their allies to increase wages and gain bargaining rights," Rep. Hahn said. “Many food workers are women and men raising families, and despite working hard and putting in full-time hours they live in poverty.  When highly profitable companies don’t pay their employees enough to survive without public assistance – yet reward their stockholders and CEOs – taxpayers foot the bill. We should publicize the examples of successful business leaders who value and invest in their workers, pay good wages, provide good benefits.  These innovative entrepreneurs are proving that businesses can profit not despite treating workers well but in fact because they treat their workers well.”

“Millions of Americans have watched corporate profits skyrocket and prices for even basic essentials like food jump while their wages have stagnated,” Rep. Watson Coleman said. “Low-wage workers face the worst of this, often trying to scrape together 40-hour weeks, but still making so little money that they need SNAP benefits and other government assistance to make ends meet. It is unacceptable, immoral, and almost criminal that in the wealthiest nation on earth, anyone willing to work full time would be forced to live in poverty. I stand with workers demanding fair and livable wages and the right to organize, and I urge my colleagues in Congress to start listening.”

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WASHINGTON— Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement today after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it would move forward with a rule to protect Americans from predatory ‘payday’ lending practices.

“We are pleased the CFPB is acting swiftly on a rule to protect working Americans from unfair payday lending practices. Fraudulent payday loans threaten the economic well-being of many Americans, especially those from low-income communities of color, by trapping them in a cycle of debt. The Congressional Progressive Caucus led a letter along with the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to the CFPB recommending it take bold action to improve the small dollar loan market.

“We applaud the CFPB and President Obama for acting on our concerns and moving forward to protect Americans. We urge them to issue a rule that leaves no room for unscrupulous lenders to continue their harmful conduct.”

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