Photo by: dkachur on flickr.com
With less than two weeks before the General Election, the Obama campaign is out in full force. As President Obama was concluding his 48 hour, 6 state campaigning marathon yesterday, Dr. Jill Biden, Second Lady of the United States, Stephanie Cutter, Deputy Campaign Manager of Obama for America and Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood held a press call with college and university media outlets from around the country. They emphasized how consequential the outcome of this election will be for young adults.
Dr. Biden drew from her experiences as a professor at Northern Virginia Community College and a mother whose child was in the military, to explain how much good President Obama and Vice President Biden have already done for young men and women in the United States; stating that “we have seen what forward means.” She highlighted how Pell Grant funding has doubled, the war in Iraq has ended and the economy is improving, with a foreclosure rate the lowest since 2007 and an unemployment rate the lowest since the President has taken office. Students are graduating into a better economy than they were four years ago.
Additionally, this administration has implemented student loan reform and created a college tax credit. Stephanie Cutter explained how under Obama, higher education has been made more accessible over the last four years, and how the President plans to continue this trend over the next four years. Federal student loan monthly payments have been capped at 10% of monthly discretionary income, helping ensure that graduates do not drown in student loans. Banks are no longer the middleman, reducing fees and allowing for the reinvestment of money into scholarships and Pell Grants. If reelected, President Obama will implement policies that will cut tuition by 50% in 10 years, as well as implement the Race to the Top initiative that is already used in elementary and secondary schools, in institutions of higher education.
Cecile Richards, who has taken a leave of absence as president of Planned Parenthood to campaign fulltime for the Obama/ Biden ticket, emphasized how important the President’s reelection is for the accessibility of healthcare for young people. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which Romney has vowed to overturn, allows people to not only stay on their parent’s insurance plan until they are 26 years old, but has eliminated copays on women’s preventative care; both of which substantially impact the economic well-being of young adults.
She also discussed how detrimental a Romney Administration would be for Planned Parenthood, the largest women’s preventative care provider in the country. Governor Romney has called to eliminate federal funding, which goes solely to preventative care, for Planned Parenthood. Something that Congressman Ryan has already voted to do. This will not only result in birth control, cancer screenings and numerous other essential health care needs becoming inaccessible to many, but is anything but economical. Every dollar the government spends on preventative care, $3-4 is saved on unplanned pregnancies.
All three women made it clear, there could not be more on the line in this election. To learn more about President Obama’s plan for the next four year go to barackobama.com/plan.
*The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.
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