Another day, another self-serving piece of legislation works its way through the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. But it isn’t about how the media is going to talk about the legislation. It’s about the students. At least that’s what the media and the Senators sponsoring the legislation tell me.

To be fair, some of the federal education programs need work, but the FFELP is doing a great job. Sure, there’s room for improvement, but it isn’t costing tax payers any money and the lenders and school administrators like it. A-ha! That’s a new tactic for this season – attack the school administrators. Did you know one school official said he was once offered a trip to someplace sunny to hear about a lender’s new loan program? What’s next – doctors having expensive dinners paid for by drug reps? Senators going on golfing retreats paid for by special interests? It’s not like Senator Kennedy would use a gala hosted by a non-profit financial aid resource provider that was organized by the CEO of a large bank and a TV news anchor woman to soap box the legislation he’s sponsoring. Well, I mean he’s not doing that again.

Here’s the thing: If the politicians want to rally against perceived misconduct then they should start closer to home. When the Sunshine Act went before the House for vote, a little addition was made to spell out what financial aid officers and lenders can and cannot do. Sure, there are already laws in place like the Fairness in Lending Act and the Truth in Lending Act that cover that, but those are old. The Truth in Lending Act is from the 60’s! Ted Kennedy is the only politician who can still ride that horse to the polls. The important thing is that little addition makes it even more politically timely than the bill already was. It doesn’t matter if it’s redundant. It only matters if it will play well in the press. That doesn’t sound like putting students first to me.

We are opposed to the proposed student loan legislation and middle-class families should be too! The government is taking money out of YOUR POCKET.

It only takes one minute to make a difference: call your senators, send your senators an e-mail, download a letter to fax to your senators, become part of our petition and help your friends find out the truth about the proposed student loan legislation.