Senate to Give Aid to Students with Drug Convictions! Help SSDP Push Forward
Dear Friend,
Over the past two months Students for Sensible Drug Policy has asked supporters like you to send letters to senators on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee urging them to repeal the law that denies federal financial aid for college to students with drug convictions. To date you have generated thousands of letters, and senators are listening!
This morning the HELP Committee approved the Higher Education Access Act of 2007 with language that expressly prohibits the Department of Education from asking students about drug convictions as a condition of receiving financial aid!
This is a huge step toward erasing the penalty from the lawbooks altogether, but there is still work to be done. The full Senate still has to approve the bill without changes, and the House will take it up later this summer. Please consider visiting http://www.ssdp.org/donate/ and making a generous financial contribution to SSDP today to support our efforts to restore financial aid eligibility to students with drug convictions.
This year marks the first time Congress will reauthorize the Higher Education Act since the Aid Elimination Penalty was added in 1998, and it likely will not be dealt with again for another five to seven years. If we are going to convince Congress to fully repeal the penalty, we really have to turn the heat up this summer. I hope you will support our efforts at this critical juncture by making a donation at http://www.ssdp.org/donate/
In addition to making generous monetary contributions, we also need supporters like you to continue urging your legislators in Washington, D.C. to take action. The full Senate will vote on the bill at some point this summer. The House is expected to consider HEA reauthorization later in the year, and inside sources tell us that the House version is likely to include language fully repealing the penalty. However, decision makers need to hear a strong message of support from constituents like you in order to fight off potential unfriendly amendments from the likes of Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN), the author of the original penalty. If you have not done so already, please visit http://www.ssdp.org/help/ to send a pre-written letter to your members of Congress.
After a nine-year campaign to repeal the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty, we are closer than ever to victory. Your contribution will help make it happen.
Thank you for all of your help.
Sincerely,
Kris Krane
Executive Director
P.S. Stay up-to-date on Drug War news by reading SSDP's blog at http://www.DAREgeneration.com/
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