Monday, October 19, 2009

Senate HELP Committee Waits on Health Care

October 19, 2009—ACCT continues to wait for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee to release its version of the education reconciliation bill. HELP Committee staff have indicated that the bill will be released when the Senate health care debate clears up. If the Senate leaders are unable to gather 60 votes in support of a comprehensive health care bill, the Senate will use the budget reconciliation process to pass the bill. The education reconciliation bill is expected to contain the American Graduation Initiative (AGI). ACCT is hopeful that the Senate will provide greater funding for AGI than the House bill provided.

Earlier this month, the Senate confirmed Brenda Dann-Messier to be Assistant Secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) at the Department of Education. Dann-Messier served as president of Dorcas Place, an Adult and Family Learning Center in Providence, R.I. Prior to her work at Dorcas Place, Dann-Messier worked at the Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory at Brown University. Dann-Messier joins Glenn Cummings, Deputy Assistant Secretary of OVAE. The Department of Education has not yet appointed a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges within OVAE.

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