[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 20 (Thursday, February 7, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D100-D103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 74 public bills, H.R. 5244-
5317; 14 private bills, H.R. 5318-5331; and 10 resolutions, H. Con. 
Res. 289-290; and H. Res. 963-970 were introduced.        
  Pages H811-13
Additional Cosponsors:                                    
  Pages H813-15
Reports Filed: There were no reports filed today.
Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, Pastor Wes 
Davis, Riverton Friends Church, Baxter Springs, Kansas.       
  Page H625
Suspensions--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
and pass the following measures which were debated on Wednesday, 
February 6th:
  Calling for a peaceful resolution to the current electoral crisis in 
Kenya: H. Con. Res. 283, amended, to call for a peaceful resolution to 
the current electoral crisis in Kenya, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 405 
yeas to 1 nay, Roll No. 34;                                   
  Page H640
  Extending for one year parity in the application of certain limits to 
mental health benefits: H.R. 4848, amended, to extend for one year 
parity in the application of certain limits to mental health benefits 
by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 384 yeas to 23 nays, Roll No. 35; and 
                                                          Pages H640-41
  Congratulating Lee Myung-Bak on his election to the Presidency of the 
Republic of Korea and wishing him well during his time of transition 
and his inauguration on February 25, 2008: H. Res. 947, to congratulate 
Lee Myung-Bak on his election to the Presidency of the Republic of 
Korea and wishing him well during his time of transition and his 
inauguration on February 25, 2008, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 388 
yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 41.                   
  Page H783
Moment of Silence: The House observed a moment of silence in memory of 
the victims who lost their lives in the tornado outbreak in Alabama, 
Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee.                             
  Page H640
College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007: The House passed 
H.R. 4137, to amend and extend the Higher Education Act of 1965, by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 354 yeas to 58 nays, Roll No. 40.   
  Pages H641-H783
  Rejected the Ferguson motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Education and Labor with instructions to report the same back to the 
House forthwith with an amendment, by a recorded vote of 194 ayes to 
216 noes, Roll No. 39.                                    
Pages H780-82
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Education and Labor now printed in the 
bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment under the five-minute rule.                         
Page H658
  Pursuant to section 6 of the rule, H. Res. 941 is laid upon the 
table.
Accepted:
  George Miller (CA) manager's amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 
110-523) that makes technical changes to the bill, as well as changes 
to the provisions on college costs to a more consumer friendly 
approach, while keeping the focus on accountability; revises the 
definition of the state funds that count toward meeting the State 
Maintenance of Effort requirement; revises a technical amendment to 
Pell grant funding; modifies the Cohort Default Rate provisions to 
provide for a transition period before the new sanctions are imposed 
and provides for targeted technical assistance to schools in danger of 
losing their federal student aid as a result of high Cohort Default 
Rates; provides assurances that students will be aware of lower-cost 
federal student aid options before turning to more expensive private 
loans and a means to help students avoid potentially compromising their 
federal aid eligibility by inadvertently relying on private student 
loans or borrowing excess amounts of private student loans; and 
includes studies;                                             
Page H736
  McKeon amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that requires 
the National Research Council to conduct a study of the regulat ions on 
institutions of higher education;                         
Pages H751-52
  Hinojosa en bloc amendment consisting of the following amendments 
printed in H. Rept. 110-523: No. 3, that authorizes discretion 
currently exercised

[[Page D101]]

by the Secretary of Education to reserve for competitive grants to 
Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities for construction, 
maintenance, or renovation of campus facilities a percentage of funds 
appropriated for Tribal Colleges and Universities under Title III of 
the Higher Education Act; No. 8, that prevents interest from accruing 
for active duty service members and qualifying National Guard members 
for the duration of their activation up to 60 months when serving in a 
combat zone; No. 14, that makes a technical correction to the Graduate 
Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program to clarify 
Congressional intent that a Masters Degree level institution or program 
is eligible to be the lead recipient of a grant under the GAANN 
program; No. 15, that prohibits a state from charging members of the 
armed forces who are on active duty for more than 30 days and whose 
domicile or permanent duty station is in such state, and such members' 
dependents, more than the in-state tuition for attending a public 
institution of higher education (IHE) in that state and provides that, 
even if such members' permanent duty station is subsequently changed to 
a location outside the state, they or their dependents must continue to 
be charged no more than the in-state tuition if they remain 
continuously emolled at such IHE in the state; and No. 20, that ensures 
that competitive Sustainability Planning Grants explicitly provided for 
``greenhouse gas emissions reductions'' to reduce the threat of global 
warming and adds an eligibility requirement to FIPSE to ensure that 
institutions meet current energy efficiency standards. Additionally, 
includes a sense of Congress that the Federal Perkins Loan Program, 
which provides low-interest loans to help needy students finance a 
degree in higher education, should remain a campus-based aid program 
and to support increased funds to provide more low-income students with 
options;                                                  
Pages H752-55
  Castle amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that requires 
the Quality Efficiency Task Forces to develop annual benchmarks for the 
top 5 percent of institutions in each institution category that have 
the largest increase in their tuition and fees over the most recent 
three year period in which data is available. The amendment also 
requires those institutions not meeting the benchmarks to provide the 
Secretary of Education a detailed explanation of the reasons why the 
institution did not meet such benchmarks;                     
Page H758
  Sestak amendment (No. 9 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that includes 
physical therapists as an occupation defined as an area of national 
need to qualify for student loan forgiveness under Sec. 428K of the 
Higher Education Act;                                     
Pages H760-61
  Sestak amendment (No. 10 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that amends the 
articulation agreement strategies that may be employed by states and 
institutions of higher education to include management systems 
regarding course equivalency, transfer of credit, and articulation; 
                                                          Pages H761-62
  Yarmuth amendment (No. 11 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that provides 
competitive Teach to Reach grants to eligible partnerships to provide 
general education teacher candidates with the knowledge and skills to 
effectively instruct students with disabilities in their classrooms. 
Eligible partnerships must include an institution of higher education, 
a special education department within that institution, and a high-need 
local education agency;                                   
Pages H762-63
  Hastings (FL) amendment (No. 12 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that 
authorizes a nationwide pilot program through the Department of 
Education to promote holistic community-centered partnerships aimed at 
mitigating gang violence and reducing recidivism rates among juvenile 
ex-offenders previously detained for gang-related offenses; 
                                                          Pages H763-65
  Welch (VT) amendment (No. 13 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that 
requires annual reporting by colleges and universities on how much of 
their endowment was paid out each year for the purpose of containing 
college costs;                                            
Pages H765-66
  Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX) amendment (No. 16 printed in H. Rept. 110-
523) that expands Pell Grant eligibility to children who lost a parent 
or guardian as a result of the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan. These 
children will be eligible for the maximum amount of Pell Grant 
assistance;                                               
Pages H766-67
  Stupak amendment (No. 17 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that provides 
federal student loan relief to borrowers who go into school 
administration in low-income school districts. Applies to any borrower 
who has been employed as a full-time school superintendent, principal, 
or other administrator for five consecutive complete school years in a 
school district in a low-income area;                     
Pages H767-68
  Doggett amendment (No. 18 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that 
encourages the prepopulation of FAFSA income and asset information, by 
taxpayer consent, with tax data provided directly from the IRS to the 
Department of Education, and allows the Secretary of Education to 
provide for the use of second preceding tax year information; 
                                                          Pages H768-69
  Baird amendment (No. 19 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that directs the 
Secretary of Education to conduct a study on the costs and benefits of 
making student aid available to less than half-time students. The 
Secretary would then make recommendations on

[[Page D102]]

how to best design a demonstration loan program targeted for less than 
half-time students;                                       
Pages H769-70
  Crowley amendment (No. 21 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that allows 
community college students to have $10 forgiven from their student 
loans for every hour they dedicate to mentoring an at-risk child; 
                                                          Pages H770-71
  Cooper amendment (No. 22 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that increases 
the authorization level, from $300 million to $500 million, for the 103 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Increases the 
authorization level, from $100 million to $125 million, for the 18 
Historically Black Graduate Institutions;                 
Pages H771-72
  Ryan (OH) amendment (No. 23 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that creates 
a pilot competitive grant program (available to no more than 10 
colleges) to assist institutions of higher education in setting up 
college textbook rental programs;                         
Pages H772-73
  Van Hollen amendment (No. 24 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that 
authorizes Teach for America at $20 million for FY09 and $25 million 
for FY10;                                                 
Pages H773-75
  Gillibrand amendment (No. 25 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that 
provides that institutions of Higher Education shall adopt a statement 
of current policy concerning the working relationship of campus 
security personnel with State and local law enforcement agencies for 
the investigation of felonies or a report of a missing student; 
                                                          Pages H775-76
  Murphy (PA) amendment (No. 26 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that helps 
students and families plan financially for higher education by 
requiring that colleges provide information about the anticipated cost 
of a post-secondary degree. Institutions would have the option of 
offering either a multi-year tuition and fee schedule or a traditional, 
single-year tuition and fee schedule with a nonbinding, multi-year 
estimate of a student's net costs;                        
Pages H776-77
  Shuler amendment (No. 27 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that authorizes 
a competitive grant program through the Department of Education that 
would allow institutions of higher education or consortia to create 
longitudinal data systems to efficiently and accurately manage, 
analyze, disaggregate, and use individual student data. The amendment 
authorizes programs in no more than five states for a period of three 
years;                                                    
Pages H777-78
  Petri amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that requires the 
existing Education-Treasury Study Group to evaluate the feasibility of 
an alternative market-based reform to the Federal Family Education Loan 
Program. The recommended alternative should reduce federal costs to 
taxpayers and use savings to increase need-based grant aid to low-
income students (by a recorded vote of 260 ayes to 153 noes, Roll No. 
36); and                                            
Pages H755-56, H778
  Petri amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that extends the 
new audit and reporting provisions applied only to the Direct Loan 
program to the Federal Family Education Loan Program (by a recorded 
vote of 222 ayes to 191 noes, Roll No. 37).      
Pages H756-58, H778-79
Rejected:
  Davis (IL) amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 110-523) that sought 
to restore protections to private student loan borrowers similar to 
those afforded other unsecured debtors by allowing the discharge of 
private student loans via bankruptcy (by a recorded vote of 179 ayes to 
236 noes, Roll No. 38).                          
Pages H758-60, H779-80
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House.                  
Page H783
  H. Res. 956, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 214 yeas to 190 nays, Roll No. 33, 
after agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 
204 yeas to 196 nays, Roll No. 32.                        
Pages H628-40
Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 
2008--Order of Business: The House agreed by unanimous consent that it 
may be in order at any time to take from the Speaker's table the bill 
H.R. 5140, to provide economic stimulus through recovery rebates to 
individuals, incentives for business investment, and an increase in 
conforming and FHA loan limits, with a Senate amendment thereto, and 
without intervention of any point of order, consider a motion by the 
Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means to agree to the Senate 
amendment; that the Senate amendment and the motion be considered as 
read; that the motion shall be debatable for forty minutes, equally 
divided and controlled; and that the previous question on the motion be 
considered as ordered to its adoption without intervening motion. 
                                                          Pages H784-93
Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 
2008: The House agreed to the Senate amendment to H.R. 5140, to provide 
economic stimulus through recovery rebates to individuals, incentives 
for business investment, and an increase in conforming and FHA loan 
limits, by a yea-and-nay vote of 380 yeas to 34 nays, Roll No. 42--
clearing the measure for the President.                   
  Pages H784-93
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she 
appointed Representative Hoyer and Representative Van Hollen to act as 
Speaker pro

[[Page D103]]

tempore to sign enrolled bills and joint resolutions through February 
12, 2008.                                                     
  Page H793
Calendar Wednesday: Agreed to dispense with the Calendar Wednesday 
business of Wednesday, February 13th.                         
  Page H795
Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to 
meet at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, and further, when the House adjourns on 
that day, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 12th 
for morning hour debate.                                      
  Page H795
Senate Messages: Messages received from the Senate today and messages 
received from the Senate by the Clerk and subsequently presented to the 
House today appear on pages H625, H783, H795.
Senate Referral: S. 2457 was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources.                                                    
  Page H810
Quorum Calls--Votes: Seven yea-and-nay votes and four recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H638-39, 
H639, H640, H641, H778, H778-79, H779, H781-82, H782-83, H783, H793. 
There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 10:20 p.m.