Unit Six: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

“Obama urges students to pressure Congress on loan rates”

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/04/politics/obama-student-loans/index.html

Synopsis: President Obama is urging students and their parents to contact members of Congress to prevent the interest rates on student loans from doubling. This is in response to a bill that Republicans in the House of Representatives passed which solves the interest rate problem but cuts money from a health care fund that promotes preventive care.  Obama and Democrats in the Senate want to keep the interest rates at their current level by eliminating some corporate tax loopholes. President Obama plans on vetoing the bill passed by the House and the Senate plans on voting on its version within the week and then both the Senate and House will try to negotiate a compromise.

Analysis: In this article Obama is encouraging students to lobby and to influence their legislators. This proves just how much influence voters are able to have if the President of the United States is encouraging them to lobby. Also, the article introduces the idea of a conference committee because the Senate and the House of Representatives have to come together to compromise to come up with one bill to vote on and send to President Obama to sign. Congress does not have the time to filibuster and have these bills die in committee because the interest rates will automatically rise in July.