[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8317-H8319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HIGHER EDUCATION EXTENSION ACT OF 2004
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5185) to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 5185
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Higher Education Extension
Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF PROGRAMS.
(a) Extension of Duration to Include Fiscal Year 2005.--The
authorization of appropriations for, and the duration of,
each program authorized under the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) shall be extended through
fiscal year 2005.
(b) Performance of Required and Authorized Functions.--If
the Secretary of Education, a State, an institution of higher
education, a guaranty agency, a lender, or another person or
entity--
(1) is required, in or for fiscal year 2004, to carry out
certain acts or make certain determinations or payments under
a program under the Higher Education Act of 1965, such acts,
determinations, or payments shall be required to be carried
out, made, or continued during the period of the extension
under this section; or
(2) is permitted or authorized, in or for fiscal year 2004,
to carry out certain acts or make certain determinations or
payments under a program under the Higher Education Act of
1965, such acts, determinations, or payments are permitted or
authorized to be carried out, made, or continued during the
period of the extension under this section.
(c) Extension at Current Levels.--The amount authorized to
be appropriated for a program described in subsection (a)
during the period of extension under this section shall be
the amount authorized to be appropriated for such program for
fiscal year 2004, or the amount appropriated for such program
for such fiscal year, whichever is greater. Except as
provided in any amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965
enacted during fiscal year 2005, the amount of any payment
required or authorized under subsection (b) in or for fiscal
year 2005 shall be determined in the same manner as the
amount of the corresponding payment required or authorized in
or for fiscal year 2004.
(d) Advisory Committees and Other Entities Continued.--Any
advisory committee, interagency organization, or other entity
that was, during fiscal year 2004, authorized or required to
perform any function under the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), or in relation to programs under
that Act, shall continue to exist and is authorized or
required, respectively, to perform such function during
fiscal year 2005.
(e) Additional Extension not Permitted.--Section 422 of the
General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1226a) shall not
apply to further extend the authorization of appropriations
for any program described in subsection (a) on the basis of
the extension of such program under this section.
(f) Exception.--The programs described in subsection (a)
for which the authorization of appropriations, or the
duration of which, is extended by this section include
provisions applicable to institutions in, and students in or
from, the Freely Associated States, except that those
provisions shall be applicable with respect to institutions
in, and students in or from, the Federated States of
Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands only to
the extent specified in Public Law 108-188.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Boehner) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner).
General Leave
Mr. BOEHNER. 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. 5185.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
[[Page H8318]]
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, each year millions of Americans, young and old,
participate in higher education programs at this Nation's colleges and
universities. Higher education has become more important than ever,
with a changing marketplace and increasing international competition.
That is why the Federal investment in the Higher Education Act is so
important.
For 2 years, my colleagues and I have been working to strengthen and
renew the Higher Education Act so that we can better serve the millions
of low and middle income students aspiring for college education. We
have made great progress, but, unfortunately, we were not able to
complete our work.
Today I stand in support of the Higher Education Extension Act so we
can ensure these vital programs continue to serve American students.
Yet I regret we were not able to accomplish a full reauthorization.
In May, the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) and I introduced
the College Access and Opportunity Act to complete the Higher Education
Act reauthorization. That bill was the final piece of our comprehensive
effort to expand the college access by focusing on fairness,
accountability, affordability, and quality. That bill contained a
number of reforms that I had hoped would be enacted by today.
The College Access and Opportunity Act would have realigned our
student aid programs to place first priority back where it belongs, on
the millions of low and middle income students who have not yet
received a higher education.
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The bill would have strengthened Pell grants, college access
programs, and campus-based student aid. It would have broken down
barriers and eliminated outdated regulations that are preventing
nontraditional students from achieving their higher education goals. It
would have significantly realigned the multibillion dollar student loan
programs to extend access for current and future students, and restore
fairness so that all student borrowers could be treated equally.
Consumer protections for borrowers would have been strengthened, and
red tape would have been reduced. And because accountability is the
cornerstone of education reform, colleges and universities would have
been held more accountable to the students, parents, and taxpayers they
serve through increased sunshine and transparency.
Yet, none of these reforms will be enacted today because partisan
politics got in the way of student-focused reforms. The bill before us
is critically important. We cannot allow programs under the Higher
Education Act to expire. Too many students depend on this assistance as
they strive for a higher education. Yet, it is equally important that
we remain committed to comprehensive reforms that will build upon these
programs, strengthening them to expand college access.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the extension of the Higher Education
Act. Millions of American students depend on these programs, and we
must not let our commitment to higher education lapse. But it is
equally important that we remain focused on the ultimate goal of
enacting comprehensive reforms that will strengthen and renew the
Higher Education Act so we can meet the needs of current and future
students. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and work with
us in the coming year to complete a comprehensive reform package so
that we can better serve American students pursuing the dream of a
college education.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this bill extends our higher education program for one
year. We need to do this because Congress has not completed its work in
reauthorizing the Higher Education Act this session.
While I support this legislation, it represents a missed opportunity.
Students are facing some of the worst tuition increases in decades.
Families have struggled to find ways to pay for college. Unfortunately,
the bipartisan cooperation has not been as helpful as it was back in
1998, and the administration has neglected its role.
The Congress and the Bush administration have frozen the maximum Pell
grant over the last 3 years. Indeed, Republican higher education
legislation which failed to move would have jeopardized college
affordability for millions of students by eliminating the ability of
students to lock in low, fixed interest rates when they consolidate
their student loans, by reducing student choice in how they can repay
their student loans, and by increasing the ability of students to go
further into debt.
If we did reauthorize the Higher Education Act, we could have
addressed the critical needs of students, including allowing student
borrowers to refinance their consolidation loans and lock in today's
low interest rates. This increases the long-term affordability of
college. We could have provided incentives to help colleges hold down
increases in tuition. Recent tuition increases have hit American
families and students especially hard. We could have allowed working
students to keep more of the funding they earn than having it used to
calculate their student aid. Unfortunately, today, we are not going to
be improving our student aid programs. Instead, we are keeping the
status quo.
While this bill is necessary, we have lost an opportunity. I look
forward to working with my colleagues as we did in 1998, hopefully in a
bipartisan fashion in the next Congress, to improve our higher
education programs.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), the chairman of the
Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this
time. I appreciate the opportunity.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 5185, the Higher Education Extension
Act of 2004. This legislation will provide for the continuation of all
of the programs authorized within the Higher Education Act for a period
of 1 year. This extension will allow Congress to finish its work on the
reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to provide more
streamlined, flexible, cost-effective, and student-friendly programs
for the future.
The House has done a great deal of work to move forward on the Higher
Education Act reauthorization. We passed four bills from this chamber
that unfortunately received no further consideration in the other body.
There have been bills introduced by my friends on the other side of the
aisle, and the majority has also introduced several other bills,
including H.R. 4283, the College Access and Opportunity Act. This most
recent comprehensive legislative package provides for a great many
benefits for current students, while holding institutions of higher
education, accrediting agencies, and participants in the student loan
programs more accountable. The bill maintains two student loan programs
and equal benefits for all student loan borrowers, regardless of the
program in which their school participates. Unfortunately, both the
calendar and election-year politics stood in the way of the legislative
process moving forward in its entirety.
This extension will allow all programs to run without interruption
and ensure student financial aid will be available to all eligible
students. It is a clean, straight-line extension, meaning that this
bill has not been weighed down with other amendments, but does strictly
what it was intended to do, extend all current programs.
The majority has continued to attempt to work with our colleagues on
several pieces of legislation. However, many of those attempts failed.
Now there is a deadline approaching. No one in this chamber wants to
see these programs expire, nor do we want to instill any sort of
concern on the part of students, institutions, or student loan
providers. It is time to put politics aside, pass this legislation and
get it to the President for his immediate signature.
I have every confidence that the Committee on Education and the
Workforce will come together early in the 109th session and move
quickly to enact a comprehensive, bipartisan higher education
reauthorization bill. I
[[Page H8319]]
look forward to working with my colleagues to do so, and I urge the
passage of H.R. 5185 today.
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Holt).
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for
yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, while I support this temporary extension of the Higher
Education Act, I am very disappointed that we have not passed the full
Higher Education Act reauthorization.
The committee chair is correct. Higher education is more important
than ever to ensure America's economic prosperity, security, and
health. Just as college has become essential to both individuals and
society's success, college tuition has risen dramatically, causing
students to take on high loan debt, $17,000, on average; to work long
hours that interfere with academic success sometimes; or to forgo
college altogether. Yet, Congress has failed to pass the Higher
Education Act.
Now, one party controls the White House, the Senate, and the House;
the same party. Yet, they have failed to pass a Higher Education Act.
Where are the priorities? Congress seems to have no trouble passing tax
cuts for the wealthy, but to provide opportunities for students to
attend college does not seem to be a priority.
Mr. Speaker, the failure of the House to pass a higher education
reauthorization is emblematic of this ineffective Congress. In past
years, the Higher Education Act was one of the easiest to pass, one of
the most bipartisan, a bill we could count on. And with this temporary
extension, we have missed many opportunities today. We could have
increased the Pell grant and provided it year-round. We could have
significantly increased aid to minority-serving institutions. We could
have increased assistance to low-income and first-generation college
students. We could have increased loan forgiveness. We could have
eliminated origination fees on student loans. We could have provided
child care for parents who are attempting to go back to college. We
could have changed the student aid formulas for working students. But,
today, we pass a temporary extension. We have failed to do any of those
things, and American college students and their parents are paying for
Congress' failure.
{time} 2330
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Let me thank my colleague on the other side of the aisle. We have
been locked in a really difficult situation trying to come to an
agreement on the reauthorization of this bill. But it is not just here.
I think we could have overcome our differences, but clearly there was
no action in the other body, and we have no choice but to extend the
Higher Education Act, which the underlying bill here today does.
This is important to millions of low- and middle-income American
students who depend on Pell grants and student loans to achieve their
dream of a college education. I ask my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida). The
question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Boehner) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5185,
as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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