[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12001-12003]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             SECOND HIGHER EDUCATION EXTENSION ACT OF 2006

  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5603) to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5603

       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 ``Second Higher Education 
     Extension Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF PROGRAMS.

       Section 2(a) of the Higher Education Extension Act of 2005 
     (Public Law 109-81; 20 U.S.C. 1001 note) is amended by 
     striking ``June 30, 2006'' and inserting ``September 30, 
     2006''.

     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 (Public Law 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 
Florida (Mr. Keller) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 5603.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5603, the Second Higher 
Education Extension Act of 2006. This bill will provide a clean 
extension of the Higher Education Act for 3 months. This bill enjoys 
bipartisan support and is cosponsored by the chairman and ranking 
members of the full Education Committee and the Higher Education 
Subcommittee.
  On March 30, 2006, the House of Representatives completed its work 
and

[[Page 12002]]

passed the College Access and Opportunity Act to fully reauthorize the 
Higher Education Act. We strengthened Pell Grants, improved the Perkins 
Loan program, and expanded access for millions of American students.
  However, the Senate has not yet acted to reauthorize the Higher 
Education Act. The Senate should soon act to pass the reauthorization 
bill so we can have these important higher education reforms signed 
into law during this session of Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a clean extension that will allow the important 
programs of the Higher Education Act to continue past their current 
June 30, 2006, expiration date until September 30, 2006. Programs like 
Pell Grants and Perkins Loans are the passports out of poverty for 
millions of American students. We must not break our commitment to 
higher education.

                              {time}  1100

  I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5603.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 5603, a 3-month extension 
of the Higher Education Act. I have enjoyed working with the new 
chairman of the subcommittee Mr. Keller on this bill.
  This bill, in essence, temporarily extends the last portions of the 
Higher Education Act not reauthorized in the reconciliation package.
  During the 1998 reauthorization, I had the opportunity to work 
closely with Chairman McKeon, now chairman of the full committee, in 
crafting a bipartisan bill. Our reauthorization attempts this Congress 
have been a little more rocky than in 1998. Most of the hard-hitting 
changes to the Higher Education Act and student aid have already been 
passed in reconciliation, which I opposed. That action forever removed 
nearly $12 billion from student aid programs and missed an opportunity 
to reinvest in students who are already struggling to pay for college.
  In response, along with Representative Miller, I recently introduced 
a bill called the Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Act, H.R. 5150. This 
bill would have cut interest rates in half for students and parents 
taking out subsidized loans, the borrowers most in need. This bill 
would save the average borrower already saddled with $17,500 in debt 
$6,600 over the life of their loan.
  The consideration and passage of the Reverse the Raid on Student Aid 
Act is a critical investment in our global competitiveness and would 
offer real relief to students and families in need.
  Let's set the record straight on Pell. Today we will hear about 
Republican support of Pell Grants. Yes, overall, spending on Pell 
Grants is on the rise, but Pell Grants are semientitlement programs, 
which means that if eligible students apply for Federal financial aid, 
they automatically get a Pell Grant. The increased spending they 
referred to is not because we are doing more to help individual 
students struggling to pay for college; this is because more students 
qualify, and more students are going to college. In other words, Mr. 
Speaker, we have more poor students that need our help.
  In reality, the individual Pell Grant has seen no meaningful increase 
in the last 5 years. In fact, Pell Grants today are worth $900 less in 
inflation-adjusted terms than they were in the 1975-1976 school year.
  Until the appropriators restore the actual buying power of the Pell 
Grant to the $5,100 level promised by our President 6 years ago, we 
have not done anything meaningful in helping the students and families 
struggling to pay for college.
  As we worked towards reauthorizing the remainder of the higher 
education through H.R. 609 in March, I had hoped we could change the 
tone of debate and act in the interest of the students that the Higher 
Education Act was intended to help. Unfortunately, in the end, my 
concerns in the bill still far outweighed any benefit. The bill that 
was considered was not something I considered comfortable to support, 
and, for that reason, opposed it.
  Again, I would like to thank Chairman Keller and Chairman McKeon for 
offering H.R. 5603, the 3-month extension of the Higher Education Act. 
And because we still have time to work on this, and hopefully things 
can change, we can achieve some repair work, repair of the 
reconciliation act. I will support this and have cosponsored the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from California, the chairman of the full Education and 
Workforce Committee, Mr. McKeon.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the subcommittee chairman for his 
works on bringing this bill to the floor, and thank Mr. Kildee for his 
work in supporting the bill.
  It is important that we extend this act and give the Senate time to 
act on the bill, so I would encourage all of our colleagues to support 
the bill to help our young people get the education they need to 
realize the American dream.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5603, the Second Higher 
Education Extension Act of 2006. I thank the Chairman of the 21st 
Century Competitiveness Subcommittee, Mr. Keller, for his work on this 
bill, as well as his consistent efforts on behalf of our Nation's 
college students and their families.
  Discretionary programs under the Higher Education Act will expire on 
June 30, 2006, and this legislation before us simply extends the 
programs for an additional three months.
  Earlier this year, when the Deficit Reduction Act was signed into 
law, we authorized the Act's mandatory spending programs. In the 
process, we 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. And we managed to achieve all that while 
also making certain that student aid programs operate more efficiently, 
saving U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars.
  In March, the House backed H.R. 609, the College Access & Opportunity 
Act, which would reauthorize the remaining programs under the Higher 
Education Act. This bill would strengthen the Pell Grant program, 
empower parents and students through ``sunshine'' and transparency in 
college costs and accreditation, improve college access programs, and 
much more. I am hopeful that our friends on the other side of the 
Capitol will act on these reforms soon so these extensions will become 
a thing of the past.
  In the meantime, however, Congress again must act to extend the 
Higher Education Act, which we have done previously on several 
occasions and with bipartisan support. The Second Higher Education 
Extension Act will ensure that vital Federal college access and student 
aid programs continue to serve those students who depend upon them. At 
the same time, the bill also gives our Senate colleagues additional 
time to complete a renewal of the Higher Education Act.
  Mr. Speaker, we are facing new realities in an increasingly 
competitive global economy. U.S. workers of today are no longer just 
competing with one another for jobs, but also against counterparts 
across the globe. One avenue we have for tackling today's new climate 
is through education in general, but more significantly through higher 
education. That's why the Federal investment in the Higher Education 
Act is so vital. Our Nation has millions of low and middle income 
students aspiring to go to college. They not only deserve an 
opportunity to educate themselves, but we personally depend on their 
having that opportunity.
  I encourage my colleagues to support the bill before us today and 
continue to work toward a fundamental reform package so that we can 
better serve American students pursuing the dream of a college 
education.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Bishop).
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, almost 3 months to the day, I 
stood here in support of the third extension to the Higher Education 
Act with the hope that it would be the last short-term measure we 
needed to pass before we finally produced an improved bipartisan and 
long overdue reauthorization bill that reflects the best interest of 
America's college students.
  I now rise in support of H.R. 5603 with a different hope, that the 
pending version of the Higher Education Act that the House passed in 
late March does not advance in the Senate, and

[[Page 12003]]

that during the next session of Congress, under a new majority, we 
start over by making this legislation truly about increasing access and 
affordability.
  On July 1, student borrowers will be burdened with a higher interest 
rate on their loans as a result of the administration's fiscal 
irresponsibility. Student loan interest rates are based on the 91-day 
T-bill, which is directly tied to the status of our economy. Based on 
today's current T-bill, interest rates for student borrowers who do not 
consolidate by July 1 will jump from 5.3 percent to 7.14 percent, which 
is a 34 percent increase in the rate.
  Record-breaking budget deficits, tax breaks for the wealthiest 
Americans, and an economic policy flawed by fiscal irresponsibility 
have resulted in higher interest rates and our Nation's students having 
to pay for the mistakes of this administration and this Congress.
  Last year the House leadership chose to cut student loans to the tune 
of $12 billion through the Deficit Reduction Act. With those cuts in 
the budget reconciliation bill, and now with higher interest rates on 
student loans, we are sending a message to America's students and their 
families that they are no longer among this Nation's top priorities.
  As high school graduates and their proud parents calculate how they 
can squeeze college costs into their budget, they are discovering that 
it is an uphill climb for most families, made tougher by new higher 
interest rates.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this extension that we are considering here 
today, but I do not support the direction and actions of this Congress 
as it relates to higher education. We must do more to ensure that every 
qualified student has the chance to go to college.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Andrews).
  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, the last couple of weeks and months have 
been times of mixed emotions for a lot of American families. Many 
people got the thick envelope in the mail that told them they were 
accepted to the school they really want to get into. And then it became 
time to figure out how to pay for it.
  Now, a few families were fortunate enough, very few families were 
fortunate enough, they have enough income to meet the tuition payment. 
Others immediately went down to the bank and made a home equity loan 
application to figure out a way to borrow enough money to send their 
son or daughter to school. Others weren't so fortunate and had to 
decide some other course, maybe including not going to school at all. 
And then others who are themselves already parents who are raising 
children and working full time just can't figure out a way to do it 
without putting themselves so far in debt that it makes no sense to get 
an education.
  This bill is a missed opportunity to address that problem. There were 
significant savings generated in the student loan programs that were 
thrown away by the reconciliation bill, the budget-cutting bill passed 
by this Congress late in 2005. Money that could have been used to raise 
loan limits, eliminate origination fees, expand programs where people 
can pay back their loan as a function of their income, money that could 
have been used to increase Pell Grants was instead put into the 
economic priorities of this majority: tax cuts for the very wealthy, 
subsidies for corporate America and misadventures around the world. So 
here we are feebly extending existing terms of this bill, while 
millions of American families struggle with the very real problem of 
how to pay for a higher education.
  This is a missed opportunity. It calls for a radical change in the 
country's priorities away from tax breaks for the wealthy, away from 
welfare for corporate America, away from misadventures around the 
world, toward educating and investing in the people of this country. 
Those changes in priorities are coming.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time and 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, today the House will 
temporarily extend for 3 months the Higher Education Act. I rise today 
to support this extension and to express my concern for the dangerous 
direction in which this Congress has taken our country's college 
students and our Nation's valued higher education system.
  The Republican leadership has failed college students and their 
families by pushing through a reauthorization bill that does nothing to 
make college more affordable as tuition continues to increase at a rate 
faster than inflation. Instead of helping students and families deal 
with the rising price to attend college, Republicans also passed 
legislation cutting $12 billion from the student loan program--the 
largest cut in the history of federal student financial aid.
  In addition to cutting Federal aid, the Republican leadership has 
made loans more expensive. And the bad news keeps coming. Recent 
reports confirm what struggling families already know--students and 
families are going deeper and deeper into debt to finance a college 
education. The Project on Student Loan Debt, a non-profit advocacy 
group, has found that the percentage of graduate seniors who have debt 
loads of $40,000 or more have increased from 1.3 percent to 8 percent 
between 1993 and 2004.
  Another recent report done by the Public Interest Research Group's 
Higher Education Project shows that 25 percent of public school 
graduates and 38 percent of private school graduates who become new 
teachers can't afford to pay their student debt on their salaries. 
Social workers in the same situation number even more--37 percent of 
public and 55 percent of private school graduates can't afford their 
student loan payments. More and more students are graduating with 
student loan debt numbers in the six figures. This is unmanageable and 
unfair and Congress can be a better partner in making the possibility 
of going to college more attainable--especially for middle- and low-
income students.
  Another troubling statistic has emerged--during the 2004-2005 school 
year--student borrowing of private loans increased by 30 percent. 
Private student loans are often used to bridge the gap between 
traditional financial aid and the cost of tuition--but they are more 
costly to students and families. In addition to being costlier, these 
private loans do not share some of the features of Federal student 
loans that are backed by the government, including deferment of 
payments and the rates at which interest may accrue.
  What's more, starting July 1, Federal student loans will carry a 
higher fixed interest rate of 6.8 percent, an increase from the current 
5.3 percent. That's why I support Democratic plans to provide 
substantive increases to the Pell Grant and to cut the student loan 
interest rates in half. As a co-sponsor of the Reverse the Raid on 
Student Aid Act, I believe that Congress can be a better partner for 
those students and their families who--as we debate these very issues 
that affect them--are sitting at kitchen tables across the country 
trying to figure out how to piece together the finances to attend 
college this fall.
  There is some good news in this extension. The good news is that the 
current law that will be extended today is better than the Republican 
bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, H.R. 609, which does 
nothing to make college more affordable for students--the expressed 
purpose of the Higher Education Act. It makes no sense to make college 
more expensive by amending a law that exists to promote access to a 
college education.
  College students should not be forced to bear the weight of President 
Bush's and this Republican Congress's irresponsible fiscal policies 
that have slashed student aid in order to pay for tax cuts that only 
benefit one percent of the nation's wealthiest. As I've stated in 
earlier extensions--today, this temporary extension is necessary, but I 
will continue to work to ensure that students will not be forced to pay 
for this enormous deficit now through financial aid cuts--or in the 
future as taxpayers.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I also yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Keller) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5603.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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