Not surprising, 20 years of lobby by purchased representatives. The tragic aspect is that these representatives are willing to sell the best interests of students, their families, and the educational well being of our country for an "average of close to $3,000 more".

Doesn't reflect well upon the moral character of these representatives, and shows how easily Sallie Mae has been able to buy influence on the hill. Perhaps this type of activity is what is behind SMC Vice Chair Albert Lord's statement that there is only a nominal chance of reform passing the Senate.

But given the massive amounts of unjust profits SMC has squeezed from student borrowers over the last generation, and the little additionals like the recent 27 some million overbillings...3000 a year targeted to a few morally bankrupted members of congress is pocket change.

Hopefully the Congress and President Obama will continue their progress towards a more equitable educational funding system which negates this type of influence peddling, and the clear and massive detriment to students, families, and our nation which has resulted.

This is absurd reporting. The headline would make you think that Sallie Mae was trying to buy the vote.

171 legislators voted no to this bill. The total amount of money given to these 171 legislators over TWENTY YEARS was $6,900. That comes out to roughly $2 per legisltor or about 10 CENTS a year.

The only thing currupt here is the reporting.

corrupt*

Hardly corrupt reporting. The core issue is that SMC was indeed attempting to lever political influence by donations. So whether it was 10 cents per year (which seems very unlikely given how the educational lenders have dictated policy) or little brown envelopes with 10,000 slipped under the door,,,it's still corrupting our representative system.

And its extremely distressing that 10 cents a year was enough to block effective action on the 9.5 % scandal, and the recent some 28 million in overbillings, and to have basic consumer protections stripped from most student loans. Those must be some really, really, special dimes. Kryptonite perhaps?