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PennPIRG Urges Senator Casey to Support Student Aid Reform 3/11/2010

Today, PennPIRG announced that it will urge students and families to call Senator Casey in support of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA). In response to a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign by the student loan industry, some Senators are opposing SAFRA, a common-sense plan that would cut government waste, make college more affordable for hundreds of thousands of students, invest in our colleges, and expand our economy.

PennPIRG Praises Obama Administration for Kick-Starting High Speed Rail in Pennsylvania 2/09/2010

PENNSYLVANIA, Feb. 9 – The Obama administration’s recent decision to award $26 million in high speed rail funds to Pennsylvania is the first step towards a stronger, faster rail system that will reduce congestion, oil use, and carbon emissions, but there is much still to be done. That was the message made clear today by public interest advocacy group PennPIRG when they released their new research report, The Right Track.

Obama Administration Awards High Speed Rail Funds to Pennsylvania 1/28/2010

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 28 - Statement of PennPIRG State Director Megan DeSmedt on today’s announcement from the Obama administration that Pennsylvania will receive $26.4 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to prepare for high speed rail in the state.

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Most Recent Reports

The Right Track - Building a 21st Century High Speed Rail System for America 2/09/2010

America’s highways and airports are increasingly congested. Our nation’s transportation system remains dependenton oil. And our existing transportation infrastructure is inadequate to the demands of the 21st century. Intercity passenger rail can help America address each of these challenges. Most major industrialized countries have (or are now building) well-functioning intercity rail systems. High-speed trains traveling from 125 mph to 200 mph or more have long served residents of Europe and Japan, and China is currently in the midst of building a $293 billion, 10,000-mile highspeed rail system.1

Trouble in Toyland: the 24th Annual Toy Safety Survey 11/24/2009

There is no magic wand to rehabilitate the tattered product safety net. Considering the 15,000 products under its regulation, the CPSC remains a very small agency with a very big job to do. Tough new bans on lead and phthalates are a good step in the right direction, but there are tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in our children’s lives. We continue to learn more about the relationship of toxic chemicals to chronic diseases. More must be done to protect our families from toxic chemicals.

Greasing the Wheels: The Crossroads of Campaign Money and Transportation Policy 11/12/2009

In the wake of the Minnesota I-35 bridge collapse there was enormous public outcry and recognition of the need to repair our crumbling infrastructure. Americans expected public officials to respond to the tragedy with a large scale effort to address the nearly 73,000 structurally deficient bridges in this country. The findings in this report suggest that did not happen. As Congress prepares a new multi-year, multibillion dollar transportation bill, we explored the intersection of money and politics and recent transportation funding decisions.

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Better way to help students 3/11/2010

A vice president of Sallie Mae wrote a letter attempting to position the student-loan giant as an agent of change when it comes to federal student-loan reform ("Sallie Mae supports student-loan reform," Friday). Yet it fights a proposal being put forth by President Obama and the U.S. House that would divert $87 billion in subsidies from banks and instead spend it on desperately needed student aid.

Study backs extending rail service 2/10/2010

Building a national high-speed rail network could create up to 1.6 million jobs and reduce auto traffic by 29 million trips a year, according to a Philadelphia-based advocacy group.

State public interest group urges support for high-speed trains 2/10/2010

A report released by the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group chronicled decades of neglect of the nation's passenger rail system while the federal government poured billions of dollars into interstate highways and air transportation.

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For more information on PennPIRG news releases contact:

Megan DeSmedt
State Director
(215) 732-3747

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