Democracy For Now Supports Students Loan Fairness Act

Democracy For America is running a petition in support of Elizabeth Warren's bill Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act.

Get this: Student loan interest rates are about to double to 6.8 percent. But big banks? They’re getting a sweet deal on borrowing money from the Fed: 0.75 percent.

No, that’s not a typo. Students will be paying 900 percent more than the biggest banks on Wall Street to borrow money.

Our biggest banks don’t deserve another sweetheart deal. And educated young Americans looking for jobs, and looking to build a future for themselves, don’t deserve to see their interest rates skyrocket.

The text of Warren's remarks.

Warren's legislation would direct the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to make available low interest student loans available through the Federal Reserve System. Warren's concern is that students will be buried in debt if Congress allows student loan rates to increase. On July 1st, student loan rates will increase from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats should hammer Republicans on this issue. Republicans can't afford to lose more young voters.

Democracy For America sent out this email to its supporters.

Senators Tammy Baldwin and Kirsten Gillibrand have signed onto our campaign to keep student loan interest rates from doubling -- joining more than 100,000 other Democracy for America members demanding we treat our students as well as the big Wall Street banks.

Let's see how many more Democratic senators Democracy For America and activists can get on board.

Tammy Baldwin Wins

AP calls it for Tammy Baldwin.

AP reports that Tammy Baldwin will become America's first openly gay Senator.

This is certainly not a tea party year.

LGBT Equality Caucus

On June 5th, Rep. Tammy Baldwin(D-Wis.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) formed the LGBT Equality Caucus. The group is bipartisan and has 52 members in the House of Representatives.

Baldwin also noted the significance of launching the caucus with bipartisan support. “We have to have the most effective communication possible with both sides,” she said. “Our Republican charter members will be great at educating and being role models for their side of the aisle.”

The two Republican charter members are Connecticut’s Chris Shays and Florida’s Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, but others are expected to join this week. Shays agreed that forming the LGBT Equality Caucus is pivotal in educating fellow lawmakers. But he sees another reason why this particular caucus will be successful. Unlike most caucuses, which are helmed by a Republican and a Democratic cochair, “in this case, you have two cochairs who happen to be one gay and one lesbian -- individuals who have experienced the very discrimination we’re talking about.” That, he said, will show other lawmakers firsthand that being gay is not a threat to the social fabric of the country.

I'm surprised that Ileana Ros-Lehtinen joined the caucus. Her neoconservative heart is surprisingly liberal socially.

In related news: Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been named Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus.

Tammy Baldwin Interview

Pam Spaulding has an exclusive interview with Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin. She is the only gay woman serving in the House of Representatives. Baldwin explains how Republicans are attempting to kill.

The lack of success passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is something Baldwin is attempting to rectify. Republicans have used the bogus argument that Christian book stores would have to hire Atheists. The First Amendment specificly states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." It's doubtful Atheists and Muslims would suddenly flock to Christian bookstores to work as clerks. What Conservatives fear is not being able to hide behind religion to practice bigotry.

Bob Jones University lost their tax exempt status for a racist admission policy.

The Court found that the IRS was correct in its decision to revoke the tax-exempt status of Bob Jones University and the Goldsboro Christian School. These institutions did not meet the requirement by providing "beneficial and stabilizing influences in community life" to be supported by taxpayers with a special tax status. The schools could not meet this requirement due to their discriminatory policies. The Court declared that racial discrimination in education violated a "fundamental national public policy." The government may justify a limitation on religious liberties by showing it is necessary to accomplish an "overriding governmental interest." Prohibiting racial discrimination was such a governmental interest. Hence, the Court found that "not all burdens on religion are unconstitutional."

I love nothing more than scam artists losing their tax exempt status.