PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATOR USING THE PHONE SCRIPT BELOW! HELP REPEAL THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT DRUG PROVISION!


SAMPLE PHONE SCRIPT: When calling your legislators, you might find the following sample script helpful:

Hi, my name is __________, and I'm calling from ___________.

The reason I'm calling is to encourage Senator ______ to take the lead in repealing a law which denies financial aid to students with drug convictions. On March 9, 2005, H.R. 1184 was introduced to the House and has the support of 64 members of Congress. If enacted, it will repeal the Higher Education Drug Provsion. However, no similar bill has been introduced in the Senate.

This law was passed as a rider provision during the last reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in 1998. The unfortunate irony is that this is the same law intended to open up educational opportunities to students from low- and middle-income families. Since this law was enacted, over 160,500 students have been ineligible for aid as a result of their answer to the question about drug convictions on the FAFSA.

Once again, I'd like to strongly urge Sen. ______ to work to ensure that the drug provision is fully repealed.



STATE
SENATOR
E-mail Form
Phone Number
Fax Number
Alaska
Sen. Lisa Murkowski
(202) 224-6665
(202) 224-5301
Alaska
Sen. Ted Stevens
(202) 224-3004
(202) 224-2354
Alabama
Sen. Jeff Sessions
(202) 224-4124
(202) 224-3149
Alabama
Sen. Richard Shelby
(202) 224-5744
(202) 224-3416
Arkansas
Sen. Blanche Lincoln
(202) 224-4843
(202) 228--1371
Arkansas
Sen. Mark Pryor
(202) 224-2353
(202) 228-0908
Arizona
Sen. Jon Kyl
(202) 224-4521
(202) 224-2207
Arizona
Sen. John McCain
(202) 224-2235
(202) 228-2862
California
Sen. Barbara Boxer
(202) 224-3553
 
California
Sen. Dianne Feinstein
(202) 224-3841
(202) 228-3954
Colorado
Sen. Wayne Allard
(202) 224-5941
(202) 224-6471
Colorado
Sen. Ken Salazar
(202) 224-5852
(202) 228-5036
Delaware
Sen. Joseph Biden
(202) 224-5042
(202) 224-0139
Delaware
Sen. Thomas Carper
(202) 224-2441
Florida
Sen. Mel Martinez
(202) 224-3041
(202) 228-5171
Florida
Sen. Bill Nelson
(202) 224-5274
(202) 228-2183
Georgia
Sen. Saxby Chambliss
(202) 224-3521
(202) 224-6519
Georgia
Sen. Johnny Isakson
(202) 224-3643
(202) 228-0724
Hawaii
Sen. Daniel Akaka
(202) 224-6361
(202) 224-2126
Hawaii
Sen. Daniel Inouye
(202) 224-3934
(202) 224-6747
Iowa
Sen. Charles Grassley
(202) 224-3744
(202) 224-6020
Iowa
Sen. Tom Harkin
(202) 224-3254
(202) 224-9369
Idaho
Sen. Larry Craig
(202) 224-2752
(202) 228-1067
Idaho
Sen. Michael Crapo
(202) 224-6142
 
Illinois
Sen. Richard Durbin
(202) 224-2152
(202) 228-0400
Illinois
Sen. Barack Obama
(202) 224-2854
(202) 228-5417
Indiana
Sen. Evan Bayh
(202) 224-2854
(202) 228-5417
Indiana
Sen. Richard Lugar
(202) 224-4814
 
Kansas
Sen. Sam Brownback
(202) 224-6521
(202) 228-1265
Kansas
Sen. Pat Roberts
(202) 224-4774
(202) 224-3514
Kentucky
Sen. Jim Bunning
(202) 224-4343
(202) 228-1373
Kentucky
Sen. Mitch McConnell
(202) 224-2541
(202) 224-2499
Louisiana
Sen. David Vitter
(202) 224-4623
(202) 228-5061
Louisiana
Sen. Mary Landrieu
(202) 224-5824
(202) 224-9735
Massachusetts
Sen. Edward Kennedy
(202) 224-4543
(202) 224-2417
Massachusetts
Sen. John Kerry
(202) 224-2742
(202) 224-8525
Maryland
Sen. Barbara Mikulski
(202) 224-4654
(202) 224-8858
Maryland
Sen. Paul Sarbanes
(202) 224-4524
(202) 224-1651
Maine
Sen. Susan Collins
(202) 224-2523
(202) 224-2693
Maine
Sen. Olympia Snowe
(202) 224-5344
(202) 224-1946
Michigan
Sen. Carl Levin
(202) 224-6221
(202) 224-1388
Michigan
Sen. Debbie Stabenow
(202) 224-4822
(202) 228-0325
Minnesota
Sen. Norm Coleman
(202) 224-5641
(202) 224-1152
Minnesota
Sen. Mark Dayton
(202) 224-3244
(202) 228-2186
Missouri
Sen. Kit Bond
(202) 224-5721
Missouri
Sen. Jim Talent
(202) 224-6154
(202) 228-1518
Mississippi
Sen. Thad Cochran
(202) 224-5054
(202) 224-9450
Mississippi
Sen. Trent Lott
(202) 224-6253
(202) 224-2262
Montana
Sen. Max Baucus
(202) 224-2651
(202) 228-3687
Montana
Sen. Conrad Burns
(202)224-2644
(202) 224-8594
North Carolina
Sen. Richard Burr
(202) 224-3154
(202) 228-2981
North Carolina
Sen. Elizabeth Dole
(202) 224-6342
(202) 224-1100
North Dakota
Sen. Kent Conrad
(202) 224-2043
(202) 224-7776
North Dakota
Sen. Byron Dorgan
(202) 224-2551
(202) 224-1193
Nebraska
Sen. Chuck Hagel
(202) 224-4224
(202) 224-5213
Nebraska
Sen. Ben Nelson
(202) 224-6551
(202) 228-0012
New Hampshire
Sen. Judd Gregg
(202) 224-3324
(202) 224-4952
New Hampshire
Sen. John Sununu
 
(202) 224-2841
(202) 228-4131
New Jersey
Sen. Jon Corzine
(202) 224-4744
(202) 228-2197
New Jersey
Sen. Frank Lautenberg
(202) 224-3224
(202) 228-4054
New Mexico
Sen. Jeff Bingaman
(202) 224-5521
(202) 224-2852
New Mexico
Sen. Pete Domenici
(202) 224-6621
(202) 228-3261
Nevada
Sen. John Ensign
(202) 224-6244
(202) 228-2193
Nevada
Sen. Harry Reid
(202) 224-3542
(202) 224-7327
New York
Sen. Hillary Clinton
(202) 224-4451
(202) 228-0282
New York
Sen. Charles Schumer
(202) 224-6542
(202) 228-3027
Ohio
Sen. Mike DeWine
(202) 224-2315
(202) 224-6519
Ohio
Sen. George Voinovich
(202) 224-3353
(202) 228-1382
Oklahoma
Sen. Tom Coburn
Oklahoma
Sen. James Inhofe
(202) 224-4721
(202) 228-0380
Oregan
Sen. Gordon Smith
(202) 224-3753
(202) 228-3997
Oregan
Sen. Ron Wyden
(202) 224-5244
(202) 228-2717
Pennsylvania
Sen. Rick Santorum
(202) 224-6324
(202) 228-0604
Pennsylvania
Sen. Arlen Specter
(202) 224-4254
(202) 228-1229
Rhode Island
Sen. Lincoln Chafee
(202) 224-2921
Rhode Island
Sen. Jack Reed
(202) 224-4642
(202) 224-4680
South Carolina
Sen. Jim DeMint
(202) 224-6121
(202) 228-5143
South Carolina
Sen. Lindsey Graham
(202) 224-3041
(202) 224-2237
South Dakota
Sen. Tim Johnson
(202) 224-5842
(202) 228-5764
South Dakota
Sen. John Thune
(202) 224-5842
(202) 228-5764
Tennessee
Sen. Lamar Alexander
(202) 224-4944
(202) 228-3398
Tennessee
Sen. Bill Frist
(202) 224-3344
(202) 228-1264
Texas
Sen. John Cornyn
(202)224-2934
(202)228-2856
Texas
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
(202) 224-5922
(202) 224-0776
Utah
Sen. Robert Bennett
(202) 224-5444
Utah
Sen. Orrin Hatch
(202)224-5251
(202)224-6331
Virginia
Sen. John Warner
(202) 224-2023
(202) 224-6295
Virginia
Sen. George Allen
(202) 224-4024
(202) 224-5432
Vermont
Sen. James Jeffords
(202) 224-5141
Vermont
Sen. Patrick Leahy
(202)224-4242
(202)224-3479
Washington
Sen. Maria Cantwell
(202) 224-3441
(202) 228-0514
Washington
Sen. Patty Murray
(202) 224-2621
(202) 224-0238
Wisconsin
Sen. Russ Feingold
(202)224-5323
(202)224-2725
Wisconsin
Sen. Herbert Kohl
(202)224-5653
(202)224-9787
West Virginia
Sen. Robert Byrd
(202) 224-3954
(202) 228-0002
West Virginia
Sen. John D. Rockefeller
(202) 224-6472
(202) 224-7665
Wyoming
Sen. Michael Enzi
(202) 224-3424
(202) 228-0359
Wyoming
Sen. Craig Thomas
(202) 224-6441
(202) 224-1724

BACKGROUND:

Added in 1998 as an amendment to the Higher Education Act (HEA), the "Drug Provision" (section 484(r), or 20 USC 1091(r)) excludes students with drug convictions from receiving federal financial aid to attend institutions of higher learning. The provision has had the effect of disqualifying a large number of deserving, low- to middle-income students from receiving federal aid to attend college for what are often relatively minor drug offenses, including misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Since the drug provision took effect in 2000, over 160,500 students have been denied aid.

KEEP US INFORMED:

When you send your letters or faxes, please send us a copy. In addition, when you receive a response, please pass this along to us, as it is most helpful to gauge legislators' positions by their responses to your letters, faxes, and personal meetings. This helps us to be more effective in our advocacy by tailoring our message to their individual concerns.

Visit http://www.raiseyourvoice.com for much more information and resources for getting involved in the campaign. For suggestions on talking points or strategy, contact David Guard at [email protected], or (202) 293-8340.


NOTES:

If you are a student attending school in your legislator's district or state, mention that at the beginning of the call.

If you are a constituent calling from outside the district or state, say where you're from and not where you are.

If, in the unlikely event the staffer asks, you can cite the drug provision as section 484(r) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, or Title 20, section 1091(r) of the US Code.

Please help students with drug convictions regain their federal financial aid and be able to better themselves through college education. More than 100 student governments nationwide have called for repeal of the drug provision in full. With Congress considering the Higher Education Act for reauthorization this fall, it's important to gain early support for full repeal as soon as possible. Support from Republicans in both the House and Senate will be necessary to repeal the drug provision.

   

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