Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4983.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of the Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act. The Education and the Workforce Committee has held 14 hearings on higher education, and throughout these hearings, it has become increasingly clear that students and families face a deluge of data that often provides little to no useful information as they try to make the important decisions of where to pursue postsecondary educations. Despite repeated attempts to enhance transparency in the higher education system, students and families still struggle to access important information that will assist in their searches for the right colleges or universities. To make matters worse, data that is available often ignores a large portion of students enrolled in the postsecondary education system or fails to capture crucial information students and families need to view the entire landscape of higher education. That is why my colleague, Representative Luke Messer, and I authored the bill before us today. The Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act attempts to streamline existing Federal transparency efforts to avoid duplicative information and confusion for students by creating a consumer-tested college dashboard that would display only key information students need when deciding which schools to attend as well as ensuring that all students are appropriately represented in the data presented. Taxpayers provide a great deal of money to help students attend the institutions of their choice and to pursue their passions. Therefore, we should make every effort to see that students have the best information available to help them make good decisions for where to continue their educations. The Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act seeks to make that information more accessible and easier to understand. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation, which passed with bipartisan support out of the Education Committee. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messer), my distinguished colleague and cosponsor for this legislation.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4983) to simplify and streamline the information regarding institutions of higher education made publicly available by the Secretary of Education, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the other bill to be considered under this rule is H.R. 4984, the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act, which will promote financial literacy through enhanced counseling for all recipients of Federal financial aid. Making the decision to pursue postsecondary education can be challenging, and many students and families find themselves overwhelmed by the choices and new terminology. It is in the best interest of students and taxpayers alike that information about Federal aid be presented in a way that is easily understood. Additionally, for most students, Federal financial aid provides them with more money than they are used to handling, and they struggle with how to manage properly their debt loads and living expenses. Students want to be treated as independent adults and therefore assume the responsibility that comes with their choices. As they make the transition to college, or back to the classroom for adult learners, this bill seeks to help students make smart decisions about financing their education so they fully understand the circumstances they may face at the completion of their education. This legislation ensures that borrowers, both students and parents, who participate in the Federal loan programs receive interactive counseling each year that is personalized to their individual situation, as well as review their loans each year and consent before receiving new Federal student loans. The bill expands financial counseling to include students who receive a Pell grant, and it also directs the Secretary of Education to maintain and share a consumer-tested, online counseling tool institutions can use to provide annual loan and Pell grant counseling as well as exit counseling. Mr. Speaker, it may surprise Members in this Chamber that I was the first person in my family to graduate from high school and go to college, where I worked full-time and attended school part-time. It took me 7 years to earn my bachelor's degree, and I continued to work my way through my master's and doctoral degrees. From my own experience, I am convinced this is the greatest country in the world for many reasons, not the least of which is that a person like me who grew up extremely poor, in a house with no electricity and with no running water, with parents with very little formal education and no prestige at all, could work hard and be elected to the United States House of Representatives. That is why I am passionate about ensuring that students have the opportunity to get an education but also understand the responsibility they are assuming in taking out a loan and the implications it may have on their family for years to come. Throughout my career serving low-income, first-generation students, I know how rewarding an education can be, and this bill provides extra tools to help those students fully understand their commitments. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have worked in a bipartisan fashion on this legislation that is before us today and on some other legislation. Yesterday, the President signed H.R. 803, which we called the SKILLS Act when it left the House. I am very proud of that, and the President talked about how happy he was to sign that bill and how doing things in a bipartisan fashion felt so good. But my colleague across the aisle keeps talking about ``the Congress.'' As he well knows, but sometimes does not present accurately to the American people, ``the Congress'' consists of two Chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives, as evidenced by what we are doing here today, is very serious about doing our work. On average, the House is holding 37 hearings every week, fulfilling our oversight responsibilities. We have passed 321 bills that are sitting in the Senate and are not being taken up by Senator Reid, who is responsible for stopping meaningful legislation that will reduce energy costs and help create jobs in this country. The record of House Republicans on fiscal issues is second to none. We have cut discretionary spending every year since taking control of the House. We have proposed reforms to many of our entitlement programs. If the gentleman is sincere in his desire for a balanced budget, I ask him to work with his ranking member on the Budget Committee to propose such a path. House Republicans have voted to support a pathway to balance, and Democrats have voted to raise taxes on hardworking Americans while never reaching balance. Mr. Speaker, there is much work that needs to be done in this country, and we are facing lots of challenges. I believe that education is the most important tool Americans at any age can have. It was a privilege to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on the Education Committee to advance legislation that seeks to meet the needs of today's student population as well as to provide accountability for hardworking taxpayer dollars invested. I think the record of the Education and the Workforce Committee is very clear: when our colleagues across the aisle will work with us, we move legislation. No legislation is perfect, and that is why I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to address their concerns and improve this legislation through the amendment process. Additionally, I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to find common ground on advancing higher education reform that will improve the opportunities and results for students and will provide accountability for taxpayers. However, these bills provide a good foundation to work from, and as a proud supporter of this legislation, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this rule and the underlying bills.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the higher education landscape in America is changing to meet the demands of the ever more technologically engaged student population, as well as meeting the needs of adults who are coming back to college after some time in the workforce. One of the most exciting innovations is competency-based education, which takes traditional degrees and college courses and maps them to specific skill sets or knowledge pieces, known as ``competencies.'' A student progresses through a course by mastering these skill sets and obtaining the knowledge to prove they understand the concept. Many of these students are individuals returning to college after an interrupted first attempt where they dropped out of college. As Mr. Salmon said, many are veterans with skills that have not yet been equated to coursework. Now they hope to improve their skills and further their careers, but these adults have already been learning skills along the way through their jobs and life experiences. Competency-based education allows students to move quickly through concepts they understand and spend more time focusing on skills that they need. Additionally, many of these programs apply the skills or concepts to real-world problems that students may have faced in their workplaces or in their families, which helps create a habit of continual learning and application. While well-intentioned, Federal regulation has often gotten in the way of innovative programs because it cannot account for the rapid change taking place. That is why my colleague, Representative Matt Salmon, has authored H.R. 3136, the Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act. This legislation will promote this innovation by directing the Secretary of Education to implement pilot projects for competency-based programs that will deliver greater flexibility to institutions that want to provide students with a more personalized education experience. The bill will ensure accountability by requiring annual evaluations of each of these projects to determine program quality and ensure student achievement. My hope is that these projects will better inform our reauthorization of the Higher Education Act by giving us proven results of what works and what does not work in the current regulatory framework. Additionally, it will help inform our discussions around financial aid and what learning in the 21st century classroom looks like. I worked in higher education for many years and thought these changes were imminent long ago, but higher education change in the past has occurred at a leisurely pace. It is exciting today finally to see some of the ideas and concepts that have been around for years being more widely tested and finding success. In our country, there are 4.6 million jobs going unfilled because employers are not able to find individuals with the right skill sets to meet their needs. As these individuals come back to school to improve their skills, we should find ways to recognize and give credit for what they have already learned to help them move through the process more quickly. This bill will help students do just that by providing flexibility to institutions to create programs that meet those needs and holding them accountable for the results. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bills, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I believe the gentleman from Massachusetts is quite well aware that his amendment was not germane to this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Salmon), the prime sponsor on one of these bills.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 677 provides for structured rules for consideration of H.R. 3136, the Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act, and H.R. 4984, the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act. The Rules Committee was pleased to work with Members on both sides of the aisle to provide for floor consideration of a number of their amendments. The resolution makes in order 11 amendments to H.R. 3136 and seven amendments to H.R. 4984. In total, the committee made in order nine Democrat amendments, three Republican amendments, and six bipartisan amendments. As a member of the Rules Committee, it is a privilege to see the number of amendments we have been able to make in order this Congress and the openness of the legislative process. My hope is that we will continue to work together in a bipartisan fashion to advance good legislation. My colleagues on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and I have been working to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. We have held 14 hearings and invited dozens of witnesses to discuss a wide variety of issues facing students, families, and institutions of higher education. Since the last reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the landscape has been constantly evolving with the student population rapidly changing and institutions developing more cost-effective modes for delivering academic content. The upcoming reauthorization provides policymakers an opportunity to improve the law and strengthen America's postsecondary system to ensure Federal policies are flexible enough to allow future developments and innovations to occur. Based on feedback received from the public and the committee's desire to reform the law in a way that will assist students in obtaining an affordable higher education that leads to employment opportunities, the committee will promote reforms that adhere to the following principles: empowering students and families to make informed decisions; simplifying and improving student aid; promoting innovation, access, and completion; and ensuring strong accountability and a limited Federal role. Reform will help more Americans achieve their dreams of a postsecondary education and help secure a more prosperous future for the country. The rule before us today provides for consideration of two bills that will inform the reauthorization process. H.R. 3136 creates a demonstration project for competency-based education. Competency-based education allows students to demonstrate what they already know and learn at their own pace by mastering specific skills and knowledge that translate to real-world application for their degrees. H.R. 4984 ensures that students have the information needed to make good choices with their financial aid dollars and understand how to use that money well by increased financial counseling and services. Education is a great opportunity in this country, and we have the most diverse system of postsecondary education in the world, with more than 6,000 public, private, nonprofit, and proprietary institutions of higher education. This diversity affords students from all backgrounds an opportunity to find an institution that meets their unique needs and helps them pursue personal goals of continuing their education. The rule before us today starts that reform process, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the rule and the underlying bills. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 677 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5134 and yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the House is considering a lawsuit to stop the President from unilaterally rewriting the ObamaCare statute. Some have criticized the lawsuit by saying that if House Republicans are opposed to the ObamaCare individual mandate, why are they suing President Obama for delaying that mandate? The Constitution requires that if the President wants to change a law, he must come to Congress to ask for a change. He did not do that in this case, even though House Republicans agreed with the underlying change. The case is about following constitutional process. Another objection is that President Obama has not issued as many executive orders as other Presidents, but the issue is not the number of executive orders, but the impact of the executive orders. This lawsuit is about constitutional governance, not politics. We must maintain the checks and balances established by the Constitution.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, today's D.C. Court of Appeals decision in Halbig v. Burwell held that the text of ObamaCare clearly ``makes tax credits available as a form of subsidy to individuals who purchase health insurance through exchanges established by the State.'' Since 36 States have declined to establish exchanges, and many policies offered in the Federal exchange are untenable without subsidy, this ruling creates more problems for the already catastrophic implementation of ObamaCare. The poorly reasoned and partisan drafting of this law has led to massive hardship, disruption, and waste. I wish my colleagues across the aisle had worked with Republicans on sensible health care reforms that we could have passed, amended, and implemented on a bipartisan basis. But they chose not to do that, and today's ruling is yet more bitter fruit of that choice. ObamaCare, as implemented, is dramatically at odds with ObamaCare as written and is, thus, at odds with the rule of law. I commend the court for recognizing this.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Michael T. McCulloch, a social studies teacher at R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Every year, a teacher from North Carolina's Fifth District spends a week accompanying me as I go about my legislative duties. The Teacher in Congress program includes attending committee hearings and floor debates, as well as researching at the Library of Congress and with House staff, learning how this institution works. Mr. McCulloch has taught for 19 years and hopes to use this experience to learn about the inner workings of our legislative branch and how our country's governmental structure was formed. I commend Mr. McCulloch for his commitment to teaching the next generation about the revolutionary ideas on which our Nation was founded. It has been a pleasure to get to know him, and I hope this week proves fruitful for him and his students.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the recently revised downward first quarter GDP numbers show the economy contracted by 2.9 percent in the opening months of 2014. We have a social safety net that is already forecasted to run perpetual deficits for decades to come, and diminished economic growth will hurt our already underfunded entitlement plans. For as long as I have been in Congress, Republicans have been working to enact structural reforms to put our budget back in balance. The recent GDP report makes those reforms even more urgent. These long-term reforms need to be considered. In the short run, let's hope that the recent economic contraction will spur the President and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to act on the dozens of House- passed jobs bills awaiting action in the Senate. These bills will help put Americans back to work and expand our economy. Will the President act?

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, last week I joined my colleague, Mr. Messer, to introduce the Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act, legislation which will ensure useful information is easily accessible, deliver data that includes the entire college population, and improve coordination between Federal agencies. Mr. Speaker, students and families must wade through massive and often conflicting amounts of information in order to make informed college decisions. The Higher Education Act, HEA, alone requires 26 different categories of information be available, and there are many additional State and Federal requirements. Our bill will streamline the overwhelming maze of information with a consumer-tested College Dashboard. The College Dashboard will provide students with key information, enrollment, completion, net price, and average loan debt and Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data. With college costs steadily rising, prospective students need to make informed decisions about their future. The Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act will help them do just that.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for his support in this and all the members of the committee who helped work on this bill. I would like to add my thanks to those that the chairman has made to the staff, in particular, Juliane Sullivan, James Bergeron, Brian Melnyk, and Rosemary Lahasky, for the incredible work that they have done. I also want to thank Eric Cantor, our majority leader, and Senators Isakson and Patty Murray for the wonderful support that they have given. Madam Speaker, today's vote on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is important for the millions of Americans who are looking for work. It is also important for the employers who have 4.6 million job opportunities that remain unfilled due to the skills gap. Closing this gap will specifically improve the lives of many Americans who are currently looking for work while generally helping our economy grow. Today's vote is the culmination of an 18-month process of legislating the old-fashioned way: discussion, negotiation and compromise. This has been a bipartisan and bicameral process. It has been a privilege to play a role in it. Madam Speaker, as you know, last year, the House passed H.R. 803, the SKILLS Act, a bill to reform our Nation's mishmash of workforce development programs. About 2 weeks ago, after much negotiation, the Senate passed an amended version of H.R. 803 and renamed it the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This bill will provide a long-overdue reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act and will reform some of the broken aspects of that system. There is longstanding bipartisan agreement that the current workforce development system is broken. Even President Obama recognizes that. In his 2012 State of the Union, President Obama called for cutting through the maze of training programs in order to do something about jobs going unfilled due to the lack of skilled workers. This bill turns that bipartisan consensus into action. Madam Speaker, in short, this legislation will increase access, eliminate waste, promote accountability, empower job creators, and give Americans access to the resources needed to fill in-demand jobs. Again, I want to thank all those who have been involved with helping get this legislation enacted. It is my hope that this process serves as a template to address some of the dozens of other House-passed jobs bills that still need a hearing in the Senate. Let this be the starting point for action on many other vital issues that need our attention. Working together, we can get things done. In that spirit, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 803 and sending this important bipartisan, bicameral legislation to the President's desk. This bill turns that bipartisan consensus into action. It will remove bureaucratic hurdles to help people access services immediately and require that education programs focus on in-demand skills. Programs will be held to account through common performance metrics and face funding cuts if they fail to do their job. This legislation empowers state and local workforce leaders by providing funding flexibility to meet the unique needs of their communities and streamlines reporting requirements to ensure the focus is on services, rather than duplicative reports.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, by direction of the House Republican Conference, I send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, today, the House will vote on H.R. 803, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a bill to reform our Nation's mishmash of workforce development programs. Today is the culmination of an 18-month bipartisan and bicameral process. The House passed H.R. 803, the SKILLS Act, over a year ago. The Senate passed an amended version of H.R. 803 two weeks ago and renamed it the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This bill turns the bipartisan consensus that our workforce development system is broken into action and will provide a long overdue reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act. In short, this legislation will increase access, eliminate waste, promote accountability, and empower job creators. Most importantly, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will give Americans access to the resources needed to fill in-demand jobs.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a Band of Raiders that successfully marched on Washington last week. The Reagan High School Marching Band came to D.C. from Pfafftown, North Carolina, one of only 14 bands chosen to participate in the National Independence Day Parade. Director Andrew Craft gives life to the band's philosophy that ``we must create strong musicians before we can expect a strong music ensemble.'' The band's music statement emphasizes performance excellence, and excellence's ever present companion: work ethic. In fewer than 10 years, Reagan High School is already recognized as having one of the top school bands in North Carolina and the Nation. The Raiders performed ``America the Beautiful'' for the parade. They are also proud of the Reagan High School fight song, appropriately titled, ``The Great Communicator March.'' It is an honor to recognize this fine organization today, and I wish them continued success in the future. With their rigorous focus and commitment to excellence, I believe we can count on a bright future for the Band of Raiders.