College Debt Relief
Not under these politicians’ watch. Check out our hall of shame.
Thursday January 25, 2007
Campus Progress and our partners in the Campaign for College Affordability are thrilled that last week, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed—356 to 71—the College Student Relief Act of 2007, cutting student loan interest rates in half. As we wait for the Senate to take similar action on student debt, we’re keeping our eyes on the 71 representatives who sided with big banks and lenders instead of American students. If any of these congressmen and women represent your district, you should let them know you won’t be forgetting their vote, and that in the future, you expect them to raise the maximum Pell Grant award, switch from government-subsidized bank loans to a more efficient system of direct lending, and launch a national public service campaign to educate low-income and minority communities about higher education opportunities. After all, it’s the job of a public servant to make the American dream more accessible to everyone, not to serve deep-pocketed corporations.
Stats on some of the top offenders are below, followed by a list of all the representatives who rejected the bill. Note that our campaign donation numbers do not include contributions from Political Action Committees nor the employees of big student loan corporations. If they did, the numbers would be considerably higher. For instance, according to a report from the Center for American Progress, Rep. John Boehner received over $100,000 from employees of Sallie Mae in the 2003-2004 election cycle.
Howard “Buck” McKeon (CA-25)
Campaign Contributions from Big Student Lenders in 2006:
NelNet Inc.: $10,000
Sallie Mae: $10,000
American Bankers Association: $10,000
Career History:
Howard “Buck” McKeon, an eight-term congressman, is the ranking Republican member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. One might think he would have a commitment to education, having served on the William S. Hart Union High School District Board of Trustees and mayor of Santa Clarita. One would be wrong.
College Attended:
Brigham Young University
Current Tuition: $3,620
Voting Record:
McKeon, joining Congressman John Boehner, co-sponsored industry-friendly college loan legislation. He voted for the disappointing College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005, a piece of major legislation that did little to help students pay for college, and against the Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment which would have lowered student loan interest rates and provided grants to African-American and Hispanic students in March 2006.
Colleges in District:
California Institute of the Arts
College of the Canyons
The Master’s College
Antelope Valley College
California State University at Bakersfield
Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01)
Campaign Contributions From Big Student Lenders in 2006:
NelNet Inc.: $10,000
American Bankers Association: $10,000
Credit Union National Association: $8,000
Career History:
A sophomore congressman, Jeff Fortenberry has jumped between Nebraska and Washington, D.C., throughout his career. He worked as a staffer on the Congressional Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations and then as a Lincoln, NE, city council member.
Colleges Attended:
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Current Tuition: $16,970
MPP, Georgetown University
Current Tuition: $31,512
Louisiana State University
Current In State Tuition: $1,496
Current Out of State Tuition: $5,646
Voting Record:
Fortenberry’s opposition to H.R. 5 should come as no surprise: He voted for the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005, and against the Reverse the Raid on Student Aid amendment. He also voted for House Resolution 653, which drained funds from student lending programs.
Colleges in District:
Wayne State College
Bryan School of Nursing
Lincoln School of Commerce
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Southeast Community College Area
Union College
University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Nebraska Christian College
Northeast Community College
Midland Lutheran College
John Boehner (OH-08)
Campaign Contributions From Big Student Lenders in 2006:
NelNet Inc: $10,000
American Bankers Association: $10,000
Sallie Mae: $7,500
Career History:
John Boehner lived the American dream, starting as a company salesman and rising to company president. His success didn’t stop there: He was elected to the Ohio State Legislature and then U.S. House of Representatives, becoming House Majority Leader in 2006. Too bad he wants to pull the ladder of social mobility up behind him.
College Attended:
Xavier University
Current Tuition: $10,925
Voting Record:
Boehner co-sponsored pro-lending industry legislation that aimed to expand loan limits for students. He also supported the College Access and Opportunity Act, while voting against the Reverse the Raid of Student Aid Amendment.
Colleges in District:
Central Ohio Technical College
Denison University
Ohio State University
Circleville Bible College
Ohio University, Lancaster
Dennis Hastert (IL-14)
Campaign Contributions from big student lenders in 2006:
Sallie Mae: $10,000
American Bankers Association: $10,000
NelNet, Inc.: $5,000
Career history:
Dennis Hastert, the longest serving Republican House speaker, is serving his final term in Congress. He worked for 16 years as a teacher and football coach at Yorkville High School before going on to serve six years in the Illinois State House—but apparently he stopped caring about schools once he stopped working in them. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986 and became speaker in 1999.
Colleges Attended:
Wheaton College
Current Tuition: $34,365
Northern Illinois University
Current In State Tuition (Graduate): $2,448
Current Out of State Tuition (Graduate): $4,896
Voting Record:
Hastert led a Congress that did little to address the cost of higher education. In fact, he failed to vote on the Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment or the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005. He did hold a workshop with Sallie Mae on how parents can pay for college, awarding a paltry $500 scholarship to one family.
Colleges in District:
Wheaton College
Waubonsee Community College
Judson College
Elgin Community College
Northern Illinois University
Aurora University
Marilyn Musgrave (CO-04)
Campaign Contributions From Big Student Lenders in 2006:
NelNet Inc.: $10,000
Sallie Mae: $9,000
Career History:
Starting her third term in Congress, Musgrave sits on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. She started her political career by winning a seat on the Morgan County School Board, and turned this success into multiple elections to Colorado’s State Congress before winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002.
College Attended:
Colorado State University
Current In State Tuition: $2,890.65
Current Out-of-state Tuition: $7,171.65
Voting Record:
Congresswoman Musgrave voted in favor of Access and Opportunity Act of 2005, and against the Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment in March 2006. Her preferred focus? Expanding depleted federal aid to home-schooled students and investigating the role played by illegal immigrants in our higher education woes.
Colleges in District:
Aims Community College
University Of Northern Colorado
Otero Junior College
Northeastern Junior College
Roy Blunt (MO-07)
Campaign Contributions From Big Student Lenders in 2006:
Citigroup Inc: $10,000
Sallie Mae: $6,000
Career History:
Blunt knows the issues facing higher education first hand: He served as president of his alma mater, Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO. Apparently, those lessons were lost on him. Before that he served two terms as Missouri’s secretary of state. He now serves as Republican House whip.
Colleges Attended:
Southwest Baptist University
Current Tuition: $19,500
Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University)
Current In State Tuition: $2,595
Current Out-of-State Tuition: $5,055
Voting Record:
Blunt voted in favor of the College Access and Opportunity Act. He also voted against the Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment .
Colleges in District:
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
Baptist Bible College
Berean University
Bryan Career College
Central Bible College
Drury University
Evangel University
Lester L. Cox College of Nursing and Health Science
Missouri State University
Ozarks Technical Community College
Pacific International University
Springfield College
Vatterott College
Jim McCrery (LA-4)
Campaign Contributions From Big Student Lenders in 2006:
American Bankers Association: $14,500
Career history:
Before serving in Congress, McCrery practiced law and served on Congressional staff in both Louisiana and Washington, D.C. His success earned him a spot on the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry in 1986. He went on to his seat in the U.S. Congress in 1988, and is now serving his 10th term.
Colleges Attended:
Louisiana Tech University
Current In State Tuition: $1,291.00
Current Out of State Tuition: $3,291.00
Louisiana State University Law School
Current In State Tuition: $11,836.75
Current Out of State Tuition: $20,932.75
Voting Record:
McCrery voted in favor of the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005, and voted against the Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment. He also voted against giving $84 million in grants to black and Hispanic colleges.
Colleges in District:
Northwood University
Devry Institute of Technology
Our Lady of the Lake University
University of Dallas
Brookhaven College
North Lake College
Northeast Community Campus
Virginia Foxx (NC-05)
Campaign Contributions From Big Student Lenders in 2006:
NelNet Inc.: $7,000
Sallie Mae: $2,000
Citigroup: $1,000
Career history:
Foxx is no stranger to higher education. Prior to serving in the United States Congress, she enjoyed a long career as a professor and university administrator at Caldwell Community College, Appalachian State University, and Maryland Community College, all in North Carolina.
College Attended:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Current In State Tuition: $5,033
Current Out of State Tuition: $19,681
Voting Record:
Foxx has voted consistently conservative on education-related legislation. She voted in favor of the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005. She also voted against the Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment.
Colleges in District:
Appalachian State University
Wilkes Community College
Mitchell Community College
Winston-Salem State University
Surry Community College
Jim Jordan (OH-04)
Campaign Contributions from big student lenders in 2006:
Credit Union National Association: $10,000
Career history:
Jordan can attest to the benefits of life-time learning, having earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master’s degree in education policy, and finally a law degree. These impressive credentials helped him attain six years in Ohio’s General Assembly and two terms as a state senator before being elected to Congress in 2006 from Ohio’s fourth district.
Colleges Attended:
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Current In State Tuition: $6,730
Current Out of State Tuition: $20,730
Ohio State University
Current In State Tuition ( Graduate School): $9,177
Current Out of State Tuition ( Graduate School): $22,530
Capital University Law School
Current Tuition: $25,100
Voting Record:
Congressman Jordan is serving his first term.
Colleges in District:
Marion Technical College
Ohio State University-Marion Campus
Southern Ohio College
The University of Findlay
Winebrenner Theological Seminary
Apollo Career Center
North Central State College
Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus
Here are the rest of the debt relief “nay”-sayers:
Bachmann, Michele (MN-06)
Baker, Richard (LA-06)
Barrett, Gresham (SC-03)
Barton, Joe (TX-06)
Bilbray, Brian (CA-50)
Bishop, Rob (UT-01)
Blackburn, Marsha (TN-07)
Bonner, Joe (AL-01)
Brady, Kevin (TX-08)
Brown, Henry (SC-01)
Burgess, Michael (TX-26)
Campbell, John (CA-48)
Cannon, Chris (UT-03)
Cantor, Eric (VA-07)
Carter, John (TX-31)
Coble, Howard (NC-06)
Conaway, Michael (TX-11)
Culberson, John (TX-07)
Deal, Nathan (GA-09)
Doolittle, John (CA-04)
Dreier, David (CA-26)
Feeney, Tom (FL-24)
Flake, Jeff (AR-06)
Franks, Trent (AZ-02)
Garrett, Scott (NJ-05)
Gingrey, Phil (GA-11)
Granger, Kay (TX-12)
Hensarling, Jeb (TX-05)
Herger, Wally (CA-02)
Hoekstra, Pete (MI -02)
Issa, Darrel (CA-49)
King, Steve (IA-05)
Kingston, Jack (GA-01)
Kline, John (MN-02)
Lamborn, Doug. (CO-05)
Lewis, Jerry (CA-41)
Linder, John (GA-07)
Lungren, Daniel E. (CA-03)
Mack, Connie (FL-14)
Marchant, Kenny (TX-24)
McHenry, Patrick T. (NC-10)
Mica, John (FL-07)
Myrick, Sue (NC-09)
Neugebauer, Randy (TX-19)
Nunes, Devin (CA-21)
Pence, Mike (IN-06)
Price, Tom (GA-06)
Putnam, Adam (FL-12)
Radanovich, George (CA-19)
Ryan, Paul (WI-01)
Sali, Bill (Idaho-01)
Schmidt, Jean (OH-02)
Sensenbrenner, James (WI-05)
Sessions, Pete (TX-32)
Shadegg, John (AZ-03)
Smith, Adrian (NE-03)
Souder, Mark (IN-03)
Tancredo, Tom (CO-06)
Thornberry, Mac (TX-13)
Westmoreland, Lynn (GA-03)
Wicker, Roger (MS-01)
Wilson, Joe (SC-02)
-Compiled by Keith White, University of Virginia
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Comments
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Not ideologically motivated-neither liberal nor conservative- it is economically rational in the long run for this country to invest in its only capital: human beings. I have never understood why Congress even condones some of its members to be legislatively hostile to initiatives that might make education in our country smoother.
Moreover, as many international economist might attest, our country doesn’t fare well in mathematics and science. To add salt to the wound, those students who try to make something out of their lives are bombarded with loans that will eventually destroy the financial stability after college; thereafter making them into dissatisfied workers-regardless of the work they do.
Congress, in my view, should not be ideologically motivated when it comes to education.
— George N. Mtonga - Jan 26, 12:33 PM - #I personally feel that Congress and Senate members should be stripped of their pay and return back to the way things were when the country was in the old days. The job should be voluntary, with no perks to go along with it. THIS would help us alleviate our debts and would provide money for students!
— Ashley - Jan 26, 02:13 PM - #I totally agree with Ashley. We pay an awful lot of money to the congress and senate to talk. They never do, they just talk. Every one knows uneducated people are easier to double cross.
— Mary Lou Czupek - Jan 26, 02:25 PM - #Thank you for your research on the voting record of these legislators. I am from Ca. and no one in my district voted against this bill. It seems to me, the conservative legislators in my state, all republicans, are against education for the general public. These actions, not unlike tax cuts for the top one percent, are helping to promote class warfare.
— Ed Noonen - Jan 27, 12:23 AM - #I graduated from Louisiana Tech University a couple of years after Hall of Shamer Jim McCrery (see above). I am going to write him and give him hell about this. He is already well-known to be the most useless Congressman that we have ever had in our district, but Big Business gives him so much payola, that nobody can ever beat him. Hell, he lives in Virginia, he doesn’t even live in Louisiana! And STILL we can’t get RID of him! He’s also hypocritical: he votes pro-Christian Right, but he’s a closet gay—his girlfriend was a guy named Gary Cathey, while at Louisiana Tech.
— Hugh McKinney - Jan 27, 01:29 AM - #I would have preferred you identify each Congressional Rep. by party too.
— Tim McGivern - Jan 27, 04:01 AM - #College/university tuition is set by the board of trustees/regents. Members of these bodies are appointed by the governor of state, certainly in publicly funded institutions. The only suggestion I have is: VOTE, people. Write, call to your state reps, your governor and your congress reps en masse and often. How would they know you are hurting?
— atia huff - Jan 27, 10:49 AM - #Just another example that King George’s war is more important to some than education. Maybe it is time for all college students to get involved in calling the present administration to task???
— Ed - Jan 27, 02:34 PM - #I’d like to know paties also, add in stature in other commitees (who they’re beholden to) great work, shine more light on this ‘representation”
— john d sotherden - Feb 4, 03:44 PM - #I was told that a position in congress used to be an honorary position. So much for honor.
— Dave - Oct 7, 03:32 PM - #I was told that a position in congress used to be an honorary position. So much for honor.
— Dave - Oct 7, 03:32 PM - #I guess we have to wait and see what comes out of the healthcare they’ve been discussing on tv the past few days. I’m sure that as always, there will be tons of debate at our expense.
— Peter - Oct 29, 04:58 PM - #