[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H6018-H6019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              FIRST HIGHER EDUCATION EXTENSION ACT OF 2007

  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2559) to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2559

       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 ``First Higher Education 
     Extension Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF PROGRAMS.

       Section 2(a) of the Higher Education Extension Act of 2005 
     (P.L. 109-81; 20 U.S.C. 1001

[[Page H6019]]

     note) is amended by striking ``June 30, 2007'' and inserting 
     ``October 31, 2007''.

     SEC. 3. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

       Nothing in this Act, or in the Higher Education Extension 
     Act of 2005 as amended by this Act, shall be construed to 
     limit or otherwise alter the authorizations of appropriations 
     for, or the durations of, programs contained in the 
     amendments made by the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 
     2005 (P.L. 109-171) to the provisions of the Higher Education 
     Act of 1965 and the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for 5 legislative 
days during which Members may insert material relevant to H.R. 2559 
into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)

                              {time}  1100

  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong report of H.R. 2559, a 
bill to extend the Higher Education Act through October 31, 2007.
  This bill is very straightforward. It simply extends the current 
programs authorized under the Higher Education Act until October 31, 
2007, giving us the time to fully consider and complete the 
reauthorization act.
  I would like to thank Congressman McKeon, the ranking member of the 
full committee, and Congressman Ric Keller, the ranking member of the 
Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and 
Competitiveness, for joining Chairman George Miller and me in bringing 
this noncontroversial extension to the floor in a bipartisan manner.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2559, which is a measure to 
extend programs under the Higher Education Act that are set to expire 
at the end of this month.
  I want to thank my committee colleagues, Chairman Miller, Chairman 
Hinojosa, Mr. McKeon and Mr. Keller for their work on this bill, as 
well as their consistent efforts on behalf of our Nation's college 
students and their families.
  Bolstering our higher education and student aid programs has long 
been a priority for Congress, regardless of which party was in the 
majority. In the last Congress, for example, under Republican 
leadership, we passed a measure that reduced lender subsidies, 
increased loan limits for students, and provided additional resources 
for students studying math, science and critical foreign languages in 
college.
  Unfortunately, the Senate didn't act on the higher education 
reauthorization in the last Congress, so we were forced to extend 
programs under the law last September. In that extension, we included a 
number of important benefits for college students and institutions of 
higher education as well. For example, we reduced red tape and provided 
loan forgiveness to spouses and parents of those who died or became 
disabled on September 11.
  Mr. Speaker, just last month, the House continued our work to 
strengthen the student aid system by passing the Student Loan Sunshine 
Act, bipartisan legislation that will restore confidence in the 
relationships between student lenders and colleges and universities.
  Now, as we prepare anew to reauthorize programs under the Higher 
Education Act, we are again faced with the need to pass an extension of 
these programs to bridge this gap. Now, make no mistake, the measure 
before us today is worthy of our support, but, at the same time, I am 
hopeful that our friends on the other side of the Capitol will renew 
their commitment to a full reauthorization. These extensions, now five 
of which we've had in the last Congress alone, ought to become a thing 
of the past.
  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle and on both sides of the Capitol in completing our 
reauthorization work in the 110th Congress. Just as importantly, I also 
look forward to working toward reforms that recognize the contributions 
of market-based programs that have been made on behalf of millions of 
students for the last several decades. In the meantime, I urge my 
colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my strong commitment, as 
chairman of the Higher Education Subcommittee, that I will work very 
closely with Congressman Price from Georgia and all of the members of 
our committee to be able to finish the work necessary to reauthorize 
the Higher Education Act sometime before the end of this year, 
hopefully in October.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to yield to my 
good friend and fellow physician, a gentleman from Louisiana who has 
been a strong proponent of higher education in his work on the 
committee. I yield the gentleman 3 minutes.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. I thank my colleague.
  Mr. Speaker, it is high time that we actually get the work done on 
this. We really need to get this done permanently, but I rise in 
support of this extension so that we can continue to move the ball 
forward. It is my hope that the other body across the Capitol will move 
this time around. I know we are going to do it here in the House.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House has agreed to include a 
provision I offered with subcommittee Chairman Rob Andrews that would 
limit projected physician shortages. This was an amendment to the bill 
that we had in the 109th Congress, and it is my understanding that it 
will be included in the base bill, and I am very pleased.
  I hope, also, that Congress will add a provision that I introduced 
with Congresswoman McCarthy to meet the future need of qualified 
nurses, which is an area where we have critical shortages throughout 
the country. And so it is my hope that as we go forward with this bill 
on the House side we can introduce this language into the bill or 
perhaps amend the bill, if necessary.
  Once again, I think it is critical that we get the job done on this. 
We did our work in the 109th Congress. The other body needs to move 
forward. We need to complete our work here so we can get a good, solid 
reauthorization bill that will do justice to our higher education 
system.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman once again 
for moving this issue forward. Again, I look forward to working with 
him as we move forward with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act. I 
am confident that we will be able to get it done in this Congress.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. I thank Congressman Price for those closing remarks. 
And with that, Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to pass H.R. 2559.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2559.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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