Call to Action: Contact Your Representatives & Encourage Them to Sign the Bipartisan Letter Supporting Perkins and Campus-Based Programs

Prepared by:  Wes Huffman (whuffman@wpllc.net)

March 10, 2016

A bipartisan coalition of Representatives is circulating a letter to the Appropriations Committee in support of the Campus-Based Aid Programs, including Perkins Loans.  The lawmakers heading up this effort are seeking signatures by March 17, so contact your Representatives as soon as possible to urge them to sign on.  A listing of contact information for House education staffers is included with this message.

The effort is led by Rep. Richard Hannah (R-NY) and Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), along with two of Perkins’ strongest champions, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI). The letter is addressed to Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), Chairman of the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), his Democratic counterpart.

The letter has a clear and simple ask:  “We request that the SEOG program be funded at $757 million, and that the FWS program be funded at $1 billion.  We further ask that the Perkins Loan program, which has been extended through September 30, 2017, maintain its funding so that its structure can be fully considered during the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.”

If you have any questions on reaching out to your Representatives and their staff, please contact Hanna Allen (hallen@wpllc.net).