[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 160 (Wednesday, December 14, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13562-S13563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PELL GRANT PROGRAM INTEGRITY ADJUSTMENTS

  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, for several years the Pell Grant Program 
has been accumulating a shortfall. This shortfall has recently been 
estimated at $4.3 billion. For a program that costs around $13 billion 
to run each year, this is a significant problem that puts the entire 
program in jeopardy. The concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
year 2006 addressed this issue by including a new scorekeeping rule to 
ensure that the program is fully funded each year and by providing a 
reserve fund to retire the $4.3 billion shortfall that has already 
accrued.
  Section 303 of H. Con. Res. 95, the concurrent resolution on the 
budget for fiscal year 2006, permits the chairman of the Senate Budget 
Committee to make adjustments to the 302(a) allocations when certain 
conditions are met relating to retiring the Pell grant shortfall. These 
conditions having been met in the Labor-HHS appropriations conference 
report, I am making the reserve fund adjustment. The following table 
reflects revised 302(a) allocations. The revised allocations for budget 
authority and outlays are the appropriate levels to be used for 
enforcement of the congressional budget.
  Additionally, the Senate-passed Labor-HHS appropriations conference 
report included additional funds for three program integrity 
initiatives as specified in the 2006 congressional budget resolution, 
and accordingly on July 28, 2005, I submitted changes to the 
Appropriations Committee's discretionary 302(a) allocation, increasing 
both budget authority and outlays by $309 million. However, the Labor-
HHS-Education conference report does not include these additional funds 
for the program integrity initiatives. Therefore, the discretionary 
302(a) allocation will be reduced by $309 million in budget authority 
and outlays.
  Pursuant to sections 303 and 404, I hereby ask unanimous consent to 
have the following revisions to H. Con. Res. 95 printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

[[Page S13563]]

                        [In millions of dollars]

Current Allocation to Senate Appropriations Committee:
  FY 2006 Budget Authority--General Purpose Discretionary......$843,020
  FY 2006 Outlays--General Purpose Discretionary................916,836
  FY 2006 Budget Authority--Mandatory...........................531,782
  FY 2006 Outlays--Mandatory....................................512,469
  FY 2006 Budget Authority--Total.............................1,374,802
  FY 2006 Outlays--Total......................................1,429,305
Adjustments:
  FY 2006 Budget Authority--General Purpose Discretionary..........-309
  FY 2006 Outlays--General Purpose Discretionary...................-309
  FY 2006 Budget Authority--Mandatory.............................4,300
  FY 2006 Outlays--Mandatory........................................  0
  FY 2006 Budget Authority--Total.................................3,991
  FY 2006 Outlays--Total...........................................-309
Revised Allocation to Senate Appropriations Committee:
  FY 2006 Budget Authority--General Purpose Discretionary.......842,711
  FY 2006 Outlays--General Purpose Discretionary................916,527
  FY 2006 Budget Authority--Mandatory...........................536,082
  FY 2006 Outlays--Mandatory....................................512,469
  FY 2006 Budget Authority--Total.............................1,378,793
1,428,996utlays--Total............................................

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