[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17092-17093]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      EXTENSION OF PROGRAMS UNDER THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill (S. 3352) to temporarily extend the programs under 
the Higher Education Act of 1965.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The text of the Senate bill is as follows:

                                S. 3352

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

       (a) 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 ``July 31, 2008'' and 
     inserting ``August 15, 2008''.
       (b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section, 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), by 
     the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (Public Law 110-
     84), or by the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act 
     of 2008 (Public Law 110-227) to the provisions of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 and the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act 
     of 2004.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect as if enacted on July 31, 2008.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days 
during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous 
material on S. 3352 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3352, a bill to temporarily 
extend programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
  We are at the final stages of completing the Higher Education Act, 
which we anticipate bringing to the floor for consideration of the 
conference report this week.
  The bill under consideration today, S. 3352, will extend the programs 
under the Higher Education Act until August 15, 2008 to allow 
sufficient time for the Clerk to enroll the bill and send it to the 
President for his signature.
  It has been nearly 10 years since the Higher Education Act was last 
authorized. I look forward to joining my colleagues on both sides of 
the aisle in both Chambers in completing the work on the HEA on behalf 
of our Nation's hardworking families and students.
  Let me take a moment to commend the leadership of the Education 
Committee on both sides of the Capitol and on both sides of the aisle 
and their staffs for working so hard and so diligently to bring this 
very important piece of legislation to the floor in a bipartisan 
fashion.

[[Page 17093]]

  The conference report has virtually unanimous agreement, and it 
includes in it several very important areas that will move us forward 
on issues of access and affordability on behalf of our students. It 
simplifies the student financial aid application process. It 
strengthens the campus-based financial aid programs principally through 
strengthening the Perkins loan program. It improves access to higher 
education for veterans. It deals with the abuses that we all now know 
so much about in the student loan program by incorporating the 
provisions of the Student Loan Sunshine Act. It strengthens the role of 
creditors, cracks down on diploma mills, and it strengthens college 
prep programs such as the TRIO programs.

                              {time}  1230

  These are just some of the important and beneficial features of the 
Higher Education Act that are now working their way through the 
conference process. Once it reaches the floor, I urge my colleagues to 
support it and to participate in the speedy passage of this important 
legislation.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of S. 3352, to temporarily extend the programs 
under the Higher Education Act of 1965. I am pleased to announce that 
this is the very last extension of the Higher Education Act that 
Congress will have to pass during this reauthorization. It has been a 
long journey, but I fully expect that Chairman Miller, that senior 
Republicans McKeon and Keller and that the rest of my colleagues will 
be here on the floor later this week to pass a conference report.
  Since 2003, we've passed over one dozen extensions of this law since 
it first expired. S. 3352 will ensure that vital Federal college access 
and student aid programs will continue to serve those students for the 
next 2 weeks who depend upon them while the final conference report 
makes its way to the President's desk.
  I am excited that Congress is ready to pass the Senate proposals that 
will ensure that students and their families will have the ability to 
get higher education Pell Grants, to obtain Perkins loans and to gain 
additional transparency into the costs of college, especially as 
students are getting ready to head back to school in a few short weeks.
  I urge my colleagues to support this extension, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. 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 New York (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 3352.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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