Subject: Re: Policy Heads Up: Warren on Debt-Free College & Bernie on Paid Leave
From: "Ann O'Leary" <[email-masked]>
To: Brian Fallon <[email-masked]>
Cc: John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Amanda Renteria <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>, Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]>, Kristina Schake <[email-masked]>, Marlon Marshall <[email-masked]>, Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>, Maya Harris <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2015 15:19:23 -0700

Oh dear.  I'm so sorry.  What should I/we do?  I'm on a plane to DC or I
would call you.  They are mostly right - but see my notes below.  Any
advice on how I contain this story by not having people leak after I meet
with them?  We felt it was really important to engage this small group of
experts who have been helping us - but obviously don't want to scoop our
own plan!

In terms of what they have - let me tell you the facts and we can determine
what to do:
(1) having the proposal contemplate "Cost of attendance," not just tuition;
OUR MAIN PROPOSAL WILL FOCUS ON MAKING TUITION DEBT FREE W/NEW FEDERAL
GRANTS; STATES COMMITTING TO KEEPING COSTS DOWN; PARENTS MAKING REALISTIC
FAMILY CONTRIBUTION; AND STUDENTS WORKING 10 HOURS PER WEEK.  WE ARE, IN
FACT, CONTEMPLATING GIVING A BONUS TO STATES AND COLLEGES THAT GO FURTHER
AND MAKE "DEBT FREE COST OF ATTENDANCE" POSSIBLE FOR THE LOWEST-INCOME
STUDENTS.  SO....WHAT THEY HAVE IS TRUE, BUT WE WON'T GO AS FAR AS THEY ARE
HEARING.

(2) a college student's "bill of rights"; YES - THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
OBAMA DID AND WE ARE BUILDING ON IT - PROBABLY GOOD TO HAVE FLOATED

and (3) a responsibility provision that would make colleges bear some of
the liability for students who default on their obligations. YES - THIS IS
A LAMAR ALEXANDER IDEA THAT WARREN ENDORSED TODAY AND WE ARE CONTEMPLATING

On Wed, Jun 10, 2015 at 3:12 PM, Brian Fallon <[email-masked]>
wrote:

> Ann - Politico has learned of your meeting tomorrow with "CAP folks" and
> is using that, combined with Warren's announcement today, as the hook for a
> story on the "Clinton campaign at work on a debt-free college proposal."
> She intends to name Gene, Neera, James Kwaal, Rohit Chopra, and Mark
> Huelsman as people the campaign has consulted over the previous months. The
> story intends to say that among the things on the table in the discussion:
> (1) having the proposal contemplate "Cost of attendance," not just tuition;
> (2) a college student's "bill of rights"; and (3) a responsibility
> provision that would make colleges bear some of the liability for students
> who default on their obligations. The story intends to say that nothing has
> been finalized yet, but the goal is to unveil the proposal as soon as July.
> The story is planned for tomorrow morning. we don't have to do anything
> unless we want to play down any of the ideas being described as "on the
> table."
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jun 10, 2015 at 5:46 PM, Ann O'Leary <[email-masked]>
> wrote:
>
>> Here is what is happening:
>>
>> (1) Our higher ed proposal - Robby asked where we are.  Over the past
>> week, we've been working really closely a great group of higher ed experts
>> and smart policy-political folks including Gene and Neera.  Together, we
>> have decided that the Australia model doesn't go far enough because it
>> keeps us doubling down on the student debt model, rather than getting at
>> the heart of bending the cost curve and making college "as debt free as
>> possible."  In the next couple of days, we will be spending time meeting
>> with experts and advocates to test out our "College Responsibility Compact"
>> that would set up a compact between states-colleges-parents-colleges, each
>> doing their part to work toward debt free tuition for students who attend
>> public colleges and universities and would give bonuses to those colleges
>> that go further and provide debt free cost of attendance for low-income
>> students.  I'm attaching our draft proposal on this piece.  We'll have a
>> full memo for all of you and HRC after we get through the next several days
>> of meetings.  My plan is that we can use the meeting to listen and test a
>> few ideas without telling folks too much.
>>
>> (2) Paid Leave - Just learned that Bernie's proposal is for 2 weeks of
>> paid vacation - an employer mandate  - that he envisions happening on top
>> of "paid sick days and maternity leave." His presser is tomorrow at 11 am
>> so we should learn more.  But I'm pretty fascinated that both Bernie and
>> O'Malley haven't fully embraced "paid family and medical leave" - and
>> instead looking at paid sick days/paid vacation and parental leave.  For
>> us, we are still looking at the full paid family and medical leave, as well
>> as the possibility of paid family leave (for new parents and caring for
>> sick relatives) along with generous paid sick days proposal.
>>
>> More on all of this soon!
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 10, 2015 at 12:06 PM, John Podesta <[email-masked]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Heather B talked to Bernie's staffer who is drafting the bill. Heather
>>> told me the staffer didn't know much about paid leave so I think they are
>>> trying to get this in before Saturday's announcement.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wednesday, June 10, 2015, Amanda Renteria <
>>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> This came up w progressives too.  Will do a short summary of the issues
>>>> folks raised, etc. Echoing John this morning, very surprised that we didn't
>>>> get hit on TPA.  Very surprised.
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>> On Jun 10, 2015, at 8:44 AM, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> What's our latest thinking on college?  Are we thinking Australia,
>>>> grants, or financing or something else?
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Jun 10, 2015 at 12:57 AM, Ann O'Leary <
>>>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi all -
>>>>>
>>>>> I've learned that Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are going to
>>>>> give major speeches this week on two of our priorities.
>>>>>
>>>>> DEBT-FREE COLLEGE - Tomorrow (Wed.), Elizabeth Warren is giving a
>>>>> major address at The Shanker Institute entitled, "The Affordability Crisis:
>>>>> Rescuing the Dream of College for the Working Class and the Poor." It is a
>>>>> pretty comprehensive speech that touches on many of the issues and points
>>>>> that we have been developing (with a harder hitting bent on the Dept of
>>>>> Ed's lack of enforcement of bad actors in the for-profit sector).
>>>>> Interestingly, however, while she says that every student should have a
>>>>> "debt free option" to attend college, her policy proposals to get there are
>>>>> first directed at the states: (1) states should invest more in higher ed;
>>>>> and (2) states should start refinancing student loans.  She does say the
>>>>> federal government has a role to partner with states and fix the Pell grant
>>>>> program, but she doesn't really lay out a comprehensive plan of how we are
>>>>> going to get to a "debt free option" for every student.
>>>>>
>>>>> I do, however, think that it will get quite a lot of attention and
>>>>> while we can still say our plan is coming later, the pressure will continue
>>>>> to mount.  I'm attaching her full speech as an FYI.  Also, as an FYI, I'm
>>>>> headed to DC to do meetings with higher ed groups on Thursday and Friday -
>>>>> and so this may generate some buzz.
>>>>>
>>>>> PAID LEAVE - Bernie's folks have been calling my friends in the paid
>>>>> leave world to let them know that he will be giving a major speech on paid
>>>>> leave and introducing legislation on paid leave on Thursday.  No one has
>>>>> leaked it to me yet, but I assume it will be at least as comprehensive as
>>>>> Gillibrand's FAMILY Act.  I'll let you know when I learn more.
>>>>>
>>>>> Let me know if you have questions - or if you hear more on these
>>>>> pieces.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Ann
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Ann O'Leary
>>>>> Senior Policy Advisor
>>>>> Hillary for America
>>>>> Cell: 510-717-5518
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Ann O'Leary
>> Senior Policy Advisor
>> Hillary for America
>> Cell: 510-717-5518
>>
>
>

-- 
Ann O'Leary
Senior Policy Advisor
Hillary for America
Cell: 510-717-5518