Accomplishments 2009-2010
Passing the largest student financial aid law in history.
In March, President Obama signed the largest student loan bill in
history into law. The new law increases financial aid for students by
$36 billion, and it won't cost taxpayers a dime because it's funded by
cutting wasteful hand-outs to banks and loan companies like Sallie Mae
and Citibank. Across the country 10,000 of you called, wrote, emailed,
and tweeted your Congressmen asking them to take action. In addition,
our DC staff worked tirelessly to bring your message to legislators and
their staff.
Building support for global warming solutions.
We're calling on the Senate to build a clean energy economy that will create jobs and enhance America’s national security while protecting the environment. Across the country, we mobilized over 30,000 students and community members to contact their Senators to call for clean, renewable energy and an end to our dependence on oil and coal. We held events on campus and off to educate thousands of people, resulting in more than 100 news stories about our work.
Here at UWSP, over 500 students signed our pledge for clean energy, providing support for our representatives to be champions on this issue!
Helping rebuild Haiti, and fighting poverty here at home.
It's been a tough year for many American families, and the earthquake in Haiti has affected millions. Through our annual Hunger Cleanup WISPIRG students from UWSP joined students across the country for a day of service in our communities. At UWSP we raised over $1,500 for The Portage Co. Hope Shelter, Oxfam’s Haiti Relief work and national efforts to combat poverty.
Also, earlier this semester we teamed with SGA and other student organizations to raise over $600 in an emergency action for Haiti relief.
Bringing 21st Century Transportation to America
From high-speed rail to mass transit, it’s time for 21st century transportation in America. We’re calling for increased federal funding of transit projects including the high speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee that will make it easier for us to get around and cut global warming pollution, traffic, and smog. Here on campus, we got hundreds of students on campus and thousands of community members to sign our online petition in favor of high speed rail in Wisconsin. We also held a press conference that was covered by three news local news outlets!
Stopping the worst unfair practices by credit companies.
In February the Credit CARD Act went into effect. This law protects students and ends some of the worst unfair practices of credit card companies, making it illegal for credit card companies to profit by tricking people into paying late. It was the outcry of students like you that passed this law, and the banks aren't happy about it - this is the first time in 40 years any law opposed by credit card companies has passed.
Reforming the health care system in order to make health care affordable.
Despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent by the insurance industry to stop reform, health insurance reform became law. Our priority has been to make health care affordable. This law takes unprecedented steps to lower costs for families and small businesses, and it prohibits insurers from using pre-existing conditions, errors on forms, and lifetime or yearly caps to drop your coverage or price it out of reach. It also helps young adults – a highly uninsured demographic - by allowing them to stay on their parents’ coverage until age 26.