Young People Put Pressure on Leaders to #Savepell

Posted Thursday, July 28, 2011 by Angela Peoples

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  • Young People Put Pressure on Leaders to #Savepell

Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) speak to students and university presidents at a save Pell rally.

While Congress remains at an impasse on the debt ceiling, Campus Progress continues to engage with leaders in the House, Senate and the Obama Administration to ensure that the perspective of America’s youth is truly considered in the negotiations.

Monday’s #SavePell day of action was another opportunity for supporters of affordable education and to take a stand and remind our leader that we must invest in the future.  Through the coordinated efforts of grassroots, DC-based organizations, and people like you, the #SavePell day of action was a smashing success!

Tens of thousands of people sent emails to their member of Congress and President Obama demanding that the Pell grant program be protected from harsh cuts in deficit and budget negotiations.  We also generated more than 1 million tweets with the #SavePell hashtag.

Our message was carried through Capitol Hill by a number of leaders in both chambers including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senators Al Franken and Mark Udall (Rep Gabrielle Giffords even tweeted her support) and the day after the #SavePell day of action, the Senate put forth a new deficit reduction proposal which would protect the Pell grant from some harmful cuts.

But the fight is not over. As Congress continues to search for consensus on what the nation’s spending priorities should be, the Pell grant and other vital education programs remain on the chopping block. Campus Progress will continue to work diligently to fight back against devastating cuts that will move our country backwards and hurt students. Thank you for helping to #SavePell and be sure to follow @campusprogress for other opportunities to stay engaged! 

Angela is the policy and advocacy manager for Campus Progress. She graduated from Western Michigan University.

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