Buck McKeon

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of our time. Mr. Chairman, we have had a good debate. I want my colleagues to understand we urge a ``no'' vote on the substitute. We urge an ``aye'' vote on final passage. Before I conclude I would like to thank all who helped to make this bill possible. I do want to thank Ranking Member Miller, Ranking Member Kildee, Subcommittee Chairman Keller and all of those who have worked on this bill. I want to thank Ellen Bammon for the good work she did, and the members of the staff on the other side of the aisle. I want to thank Amy Raaf on our committee, who has been working night and day to get us to this point. I want to thank Krisann Pearce, who will be departing from the committee, who has done yeoman's work. I mentioned yesterday Sally Lovejoy, who has been with the committee for 25 years, who is leaving. I want to thank Heath Weems from my personal staff; Bob Cochran, my chief of staff, who have all done great work on this. I want to thank Kathleen Smith and Alison Griffin, who have been working on this project for years and have since left the committee.

Mr. McKEON. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. And the gentleman from California has?

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Madam Chairman, I rise to thank the gentlewoman for her amendment. One of my daughters has home schooled some of her children, and we have many friends who home school their children and do a fantastic job, and I am really happy that they will be able to participate in this scholarship. I think this improves the bill.

Mr. McKEON. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. And I want to thank him for his leadership on this issue. We have worked together on this issue before. I am getting toward the end of my life. I am a lot older than a lot of the people around here. But in my youth, I remember when families that had children with Downs Syndrome used to keep them out of sight. And we have made so much progress. And I have a nephew that has Downs Syndrome, and I see the love that he has brought into their family. He is 12 also. And to think that we have come so far and yet we have an opportunity to go further. And this amendment makes that possible. And I just want to thank the gentleman for his efforts in this, and on behalf of all children with Downs Syndrome to give them the opportunity to go as far as they can, because I think that is something that, again, improves and enhances the bill. And I appreciate the gentleman's efforts.

Mr. McKEON. Madam Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the gentleman for this amendment. It again makes the bill stronger, and I appreciate their working together in a bipartisan method to make this happen.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I would also like to say that we appreciate the gentleman's amendment. We think it makes the bill stronger. We thank him for his support and work on this issue.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment to the College Access and Opportunity Act, and I would like to take a few moments to identify and clarify for Members a few points regarding the manager's amendment. The process that we go through here is, somebody, after many hearings, writes a bill, and then it goes to our committee by direction of the Speaker, and then generally the subcommittee holds a markup giving all members a chance to participate and amend the bill, and then the full committee, and we go through the process again with all members on the committee able to add amendments, change the bill. It goes through a series of debate. And then, after that, between the time it goes to the committee and the time it comes to the floor, we continue working on the process, and the changes that are worked out at that time are added to a final manager's amendment, which we are now presenting on the floor. And with respect to the College Affordability Index provisions of H.R. 609, which aim to shine a spotlight on hyperinflation and college costs, the manager's amendment, after this process, makes a couple of very important changes. First, it requires institutions whose affordability index ranking falls in the highest 10 percent nationwide to establish a quality, efficient task force charged with comparing the operating costs of its institution with those of others. This is down from the highest 25 percent in the underlying bill, so we have reduced that 25 percent of the colleges that have increased their costs the most over the period of the 8 years that it affects, to be highlighted, and we have cut that from 25 down to 10 percent. Furthermore, under the manager's amendment, one of the things that we had in the original bill was we could call on the Inspector General to do an audit of the school. We have removed that, and there will be nothing more than the reporting provisions that the schools will have to comply with connected to the College Affordability Index. On accreditation, the manager's amendment explicitly clarifies that a State cannot require colleges and universities within its borders to be accredited by that State. There has been some misinformation out on that. We have clarified that in the manager's amendment. Moreover, this amendment provides colleges and universities a clear choice regarding whose accreditation they seek. It forces no accreditation decisions on any school or any State, period. If the State wants to get into the accrediting business, they have to go through the requirements that are offered for all other accreditors. They have to be approved by the Department of Education, and then the school picks what accrediting body they want to work with. Finally, the manager's amendment retains current law with respect to campus-based aid programs, as well as the TRIO Federal college access programs. It requires new studies that will allow us to take a deeper look into these programs and determine what steps need to be taken in the future to ensure they are running as effectively and as efficiently as possible. Mr. Chairman, the manager's amendment contains several other changes including many that are the products of negotiations with my friends on the other side of the aisle. I urge my colleagues to support both this amendment and the underlying bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Madam Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder), a member of the committee. (Mr. SOUDER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), a former community college president, a university administrator, a former TRIO director, someone with great credibility on this subject, and a member of the committee.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this bill to reform, reauthorize and strengthen programs under the Higher Education Act. I want to thank my former chairman and our current majority leader, Mr. Boehner, for working with me to craft this legislation. It has been a long process, but the bill that we are bringing to the floor today is a good one, one worthy of healthy debate and bipartisan support. I would like to thank the new chairman of the 21st Century Subcommittee, Representative Ric Keller from Florida, for his work on key elements of this legislation, notably the improvements we make on the Pell Grant program. I would also like to take a moment to recognize Representatives Kildee and Miller for their continued work on college access issues. In addition to the strong underlying bill we have before us today, the legislation also incorporates a manager's amendment which is the product of substantial bipartisan negotiations. Through our work together over the past several weeks and months, we have drafted a manager's amendment that addresses many concerns. Those concerns include some of those of my friends across the aisle. For example, the manager's amendment eliminates an Inspector General's rule as part of the college affordability index provisions. It clarifies that a State cannot require an institution to be accredited by that same State and also makes clear that schools can continue to choose their own accreditor. It adds a new post-secondary institution to the list of historically black graduate institutions. It increases the minimum grant for tribally controlled colleges and universities. It enhances coordination within the TRIO and GEAR UP programs to better serve foster care students, and it allows the U.S. Department of Education to reserve funds within the high school equivalency program, college assistance, migrant program for technical assistance activities. Often this type of bipartisan work does not come easily, and I am pleased that we were able to find common ground on issues important to Members on both sides of the aisle. At the outset of this debate today, I am hopeful that the spirit of bipartisanship can carry on. If we disagree, we should not be disagreeable, and above all, our consideration of this important bill should not turn into an election- year fight led by those who may seek to play fast and loose with the facts about what the bill does and does not do. Mr. Chairman, we cannot lose sight of the fact that each year American taxpayers invest tens of billions of dollars in aid to college students and funding for U.S. institutions of higher education, as you can see on the chart here. Our Federal commitment to student aid is great, and gets greater with each passing year. More than four decades ago, when the Higher Education Act was enacted, the purpose of this hefty investment was clear, to expand college access to all people. However, today, faced with an increasingly competitive global economy, in which post-secondary education is more necessary than ever, ensuring that Federal dollars are spent effectively and efficiently is a bottom-line issue for students, parents and taxpayers alike, again, as you can see from this chart. Mr. Chairman, costs at both private and public colleges are spiraling upward and fast. Indeed, consistent increases in college costs have made it clear that colleges and universities must remain accountable to consumers of higher education. At the same time, students, parents and taxpayers have the right to know that Federal dollars are being invested in ways that respond to a changing marketplace, expanding college access and protecting students' interest. The College Access and Opportunity Act does just that. I urge my colleagues to join with me in supporting that. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I am happy to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the majority leader of the House, former chairman of the committee.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I am happy to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I am happy to yield 2 minutes to the chairman of the Education Reform Subcommittee, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, a report released last week by a leading consulting firm confirmed that the pro-growth policies championed by this Congress and this President are working. In fact, they have been so successful that, this spring, we are poised to see the strongest job market for our Nation's 1.4 million college graduates since the dot-com bubble burst in 2001. The firm also cited a recent survey that showed employers plan to hire 14.5 percent more new college graduates this year than they did a year ago. There is a great deal of doom and gloom here in Washington. Some taking part in this debate today certainly are no exception. But the fact is our economy is growing, and the college graduates are feeling the effect. That is why this bill before us is so important today. The legislation will empower students with more information and more resources than ever before as they seek to achieve the dream of attending college. The College Access and Opportunity Act that we have before us today strengthens the Pell Grant program by providing year-round Pell Grant aid for students attending school throughout the year, and removes an incentive for colleges to raise tuition by repealing the Pell Grant tuition sensitivity language. It gives higher education consumers more information about what they are getting for their money by establishing college consumer profiles. It shines a spotlight on excessive tuition hikes through the college affordability index, and it strengthens U.S. competitiveness by sharpening our focus on improving math, science and critical foreign language programs. Mr. Chairman, simply put, this bill is comprehensive. It is fiscally responsible, and it is worthy of our support. Again, I thank my colleagues on the committee for their work in crafting the College Access and Accountability Act, and I urge my colleagues to support it on final passage. Mr. Chairman, before I finish, I have spent 14 years almost now on this committee. I would like to recognize a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee staff, Sally Lovejoy. I have just become chairman of this committee and I was really offended when she let me know that she was leaving. I thought it was because of me. But then I heard that she has been offered a great job, to work with the first lady, representing us in Paris. And that is where she did some of her college work. I think it is a wonderful opportunity, and I am happy that she has the opportunity. We are going to miss her, and we appreciate all of the years, 25 years' work that she has put in on this committee. On behalf of our entire committee and the rest of the staff, I want to thank her for all of her great work.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Keller), the chairman of the Higher Education Subcommittee.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding the time, and I appreciate the work he is doing on this rule. Just a little history, Mr. Speaker. You know, we have been working on this higher education reauthorization bill now for 3 years, and we have been doing it in a bipartisan way. What the other side wants to focus on is something that took place a few months ago. And what we did, we passed a Deficit Reduction Act to try to help the taxpayers of the country against further increasing deficits. And what we did in that bill was we lowered loan fees to students. We set higher loan limits for students in their first 2 years of college, which is when they have the greatest problem in staying in, when we have the greatest dropouts. We wanted to help those that are trying to get on the ladder of success to achieve the American Dream. We provided grant aid for high-achieving, low- income students, which is the purpose of the Higher Education Act, to help the lower-income students to have greater accessibility to a college education. And we simplified the financial aid process, again, trying to help those who have the most needs to get into the system. We provided taxpayer protections. What we did was we reduced the excess subsidies to lenders. There was a loophole that was put in the law years ago. We reduced that, eliminated that loophole that provided an increased subsidy to lenders. We improved risk sharing. We added accountability to administrative funds, and we provided protection and prevention against loan default, all against the lenders, to help strengthen the program for students. As I mentioned, we have been working on this in a bipartisan basis, and up until yesterday, that effort was moving forward in committee and subcommittee and full committee. We addressed over a hundred amendments from the other side of the aisle. And since the passage, months ago, in committee, we have continued to work with the other side. We have a lengthy manager's amendment. Everything that is in that manager's amendment has been approved by the other side. I have pages of amendments, things that we have put in the bill to satisfy the other side. And we were, as I said, working together, until yesterday when they said they had decided, and I can only assume it is for political reasons because it didn't come up until then, they decided that they were going to go back and talk about something that happened months ago, rather than what is in this bill, the good things that we have in this bill to make college education more affordable, more accessible, more accountable to parents and students in this Nation. Our goal is to further the process that was put in place 40 years ago when the Higher Education Act was passed, to give all of the people in this country the opportunity to move forward, to get a college education, to improve themselves so that we can compete on a global basis. I led a congressional trip last year to China, because we are concerned about worldwide competitiveness, and we do things in this bill to help make us more competitive and to expand access and accessibility for our students. And I feel good about what we have done in this work. I feel badly that we have had this, for whatever reason, change of tone and attitude on the other side. And I hope that we can continue to reach out to the other side, ask them to continue to work with us, and that is why we are going to have another rule later today. Those who want to work with us, that want to have an amendment in the bill that can support the bill to move forward, this is a long process. What we are working on today is not the end. It is a further step in the process. We will get this bill passed on the floor tomorrow. Hopefully, the other body will pass a bill, we will go to conference, we will continue to work to improve the process. That is the democratic process that we are buying into and instead, all we are hearing is no, no, no from the other side. I think it is about time, you know, there are lots of issues we can fight on, but education should be bipartisan. And you know that we have worked together to make this a bipartisan approach, and I feel sad that you have decided to make this partisan, but we are not going to let that stop us. We are going to move forward. We are going to get the bill passed, because the important thing is to reach out and help the students in our country be able to compete as we go forward in our progress. It is not going to have a lot of effect on me, but it is going to affect my children, my 28 grandchildren that are going to be able to, hopefully, get an education and compete on a worldwide basis.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 609.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during consideration of H.R. 609 pursuant to House Resolution 741, the following amendments be permitted to be offered out of the specified order: Amendment No. 9 by Mr. Fossella; Amendment No. 12 by Mr. Porter; Amendment No. 14 by Mrs. Wilson of New Mexico; Amendment No. 15 by Miss McMorris.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H. Con. Res. 354. As chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee and a member of the Armed Services Committee, this measure touches on two issues very near and dear to my heart: higher education and our national security. Just over a week ago, the U.S. Supreme Court announced a unanimous decision to protect the rights of military recruiters seeking access to colleges and universities that accept Federal funding. I applaud the Supreme Court's decision, which embodies the same spirit as many of our own legislative efforts here in Congress. Since its enactment in 1996, the Solomon amendment has found many allies on the Education and the Workforce and the Armed Services Committees, as well as throughout the entire House. Our consistent message has been this: Whether in a time of war or a time of peace, if colleges and universities are willing to accept taxpayer dollars to operate, they also must be willing to accept those who recruit the men and women who defend our Nation--and our freedom. At no time in recent memory has our Nation placed more responsibility upon the shoulders of our men and women in uniform. We're fighting a war unlike any we have ever fought before and doing so on multiple fronts. As we struggle to preserve our very way of life, it is essential that we promote military service as an option for college students across the country. Indeed, if we are going to find success in defending our freedom and protecting our homeland, then our military recruiters must have access to our Nation's best and brightest students. And that access is what the Solomon amendment, last week's unanimous Supreme Court decision, and our ongoing efforts here in Congress continue to protect. Mr. Speaker, this Congress has established a record of action on national security issues, from supporting our military to providing for a strong national defense to fighting and winning the war on terror. We remain committed to standing behind our troops and defending our Nation from every threat, and this resolution is a reflection of that fact. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, for the last several years my colleagues on the Education and Workforce Committee have joined me in working to renew and indeed improve the Higher Education Act. Congress recently took an important step toward doing just that. Legislation enacted last month reauthorized mandatory spending programs under the Higher Education Act and made some important reforms to the law as well, reforms destined to benefit students and taxpayers alike. Through our efforts, we have reduced lender subsidies, increased loan limits for students, simplified the financial aid process, and provided additional resources for needy students studying math, science, and critical foreign languages in college. All the while, we have made certain that student aid programs operate more efficiently, saving U.S. taxpayers billions as part of this Congress' goal to rein in runaway entitlement spending. It is my hope that the House will soon renew remaining Higher Education Act programs by passing the College Access and Opportunity Act, H.R. 609. This bill would strengthen the Pell grant program, empower parents and students through sunshine and transparency in college costs and accreditation, and improve college access programs. The measure was passed by the Education and Workforce Committee last summer, and I look forward to working with my colleagues from both parties to see it pass here on the House floor as well. As Mr. Kildee mentioned, in 1998 we worked very closely together in reauthorizing the Higher Education Act. And I am certain that we will be able to work very well in passing H.R. 609, hopefully in the next few weeks. In the meantime, Congress again must act to extend the Higher Education Act which we have done previously on several occasions with bipartisan support. And today I rise in support of the legislation to do so once again. H.R. 4911, the Higher Education Act, will ensure that vital Federal college access and student loan programs continue to serve those students who depend upon them. This legislation extends the Higher Education Act for a brief time, 3 months, to allow the student aid program reforms enacted last month to take full effect on July 1, 2006. At the same time, H.R. 4911 also gives Congress additional time to complete a renewal of the remaining higher education programs as well. Each year, more and more American students participate in higher education programs at our Nation's colleges and universities. The new realities of an increasingly competitive global economy made clear that higher education is more important than ever before. That is why the Federal investment in the Higher Education Act is so vital. Millions of low- and middle-income students aspire for a college education, and we are depending on these young men and women to lead our Nation into the 21st century. Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us today is a necessary step to keep programs under the Higher Education Act from expiring. Too many students depend on this assistance, and we cannot allow it to lapse. However, we must remain focused on completing comprehensive reforms to build upon these programs. With the enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act, we are halfway there. The extension we will vote on today is a bridge to the balance of our work, the College Access and Opportunity Act. I encourage my colleagues to support the bill before us today and work with us in the coming weeks and months to complete a fundamental reform package so we can better serve American students pursuing the dream of a college education.