House Passes Continuing Resolution, DREAM Act; Senate Expected to Consider Both Bills

Last night, the House approved H.R. 3082, a year-long continuing resolution to fund the government until the end of the current federal fiscal year (September 30, 2011), by a vote of 212-206. Now that the House has passed the bill, it will be presented to the Senate for consideration. In past years, continuing resolutions typically have been less robust, but this continuing resolution will provide additional funds to crucial areas. Most importantly for community colleges, the bill provides an additional $5.7 billion to deal with the Pell Grant shortfall. Meanwhile, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) continues to work on an Omnibus Appropriations bill, and he will attempt to present the Omnibus bill as a substitute for the House continuing resolution. If the Senate gets the 60 votes necessary Omnibus bill cloture, the bill will be sent back for the House’s consideration. The Omnibus bill is preferable to a long-term continuing resolution, because it would include higher funding levels (and earmarks). ACCT is also hopeful that the program changes to the Community College and Career-Training Grant Program will be included in the Omnibus bill.

In other news, the House approved its version of the DREAM Act last night by a vote of 216-198. The bill will move to the Senate, but the bill approved by the House is different than the one that will be considered by the Senate. If the Senate passes its bill, the House will need to consider the Senate-passed version of the bill. The Senate is slated to vote on cloture on S. 3992, which is the latest version of the DREAM Act authored by Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL). S. 3992 has been amended to gather the additional support necessary to reach the 60 votes necessary for cloture. Unlike other versions of the DREAM Act, the bill does not repeal the federal ban on in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants and does not allow undocumented immigrants to receive Pell grants. However, the bill does provide a legal pathway for immigrants to pursue citizenship, provided that they meet set criteria. The text of S. 3992 can be found here.

Additionally, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) attempted to move “The Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2010,” this past weekend, but the bill was not able to get cloture. Because of this outcome, the Administration and Senate Republican leaders later agreed on a tax extenders bill. The major provisions of the tax measure would include the income tax cuts that were passed during the previous Administration. For higher education, the bill includes a two-year extension of the American Opportunity Tax Credit. The Senate is working to finalize the whole package, but the measure may face a filibuster, which would delay consideration and final passage.

While most Congressional leaders were determined weeks ago, the House Republican Steering Committee met this week and recommended Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY) to be the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and Rep. John Kline (R-MN) to be the Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee. The House Republican conference supported the recommendations. Incoming House Majority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) released the upcoming House calendar for 2011. The schedule can be accessed here.


Don't miss your opportunity to meet with your members of Congress, Congressional Staff, and Meet the Press moderator David Gregory during the 2011 Community College National Legislative Summit this February 13-16 in Washington, D.C. Make sure to register before December 22 to secure the early registration discount. And be sure to register for the pre-Summit Advocacy Academy on February 13. This new academy is tailored to the needs of federal advocacy for community colleges. For more information and to register, click here. Read more!

ACCT Joins DREAM Act Coalition

Today, ACCT joined forces with 24 other organizations to create the Act on the DREAM Coalition to urge Congress and the Obama Administration to finally pass the DREAM Act. With the short time period before the congressional elections, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that Congress will consider comprehensive immigration reform that the DREAM Act has been a part of for a number of years. The Act on the Dream Coalition is asking Congress to consider and pass the DREAM Act as a separate piece of legislation this year. The Senate version, S. 729, has 38 co-sponsors; the House version, H.R. 1751, has 120 co-sponsors. ACCT encourages members and other supporters of the DREAM Act to visit the Coalition’s website at: http://actonthedream.org/.

Senate leaders were unsuccessful in proceeding to consider H.R. 4213, its version of the “tax extenders” bill. The Senate voted 45-62 on the bill, which would have required 60 votes to move to consider the bill. The large price tag of the bill, nearly $140 billion (of which $60 billion is offset), continues to be the major factor in halting action on the bill, even though most of the extensions have strong support. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) is expected to introduce a stripped-down version of H.R. 4213. The Senate bill includes important changes to the Community College and Career Training Grant (CCCTG) program, which was funded within the reconciliation bill. ACCT will monitor developments closely to ensure that the provisions remain in the final bill. The Senate bill summary can be viewed at: http://finance.senate.gov/legislation/download/?id=c43e1c4b-c9e2-498d-bb68-ebe84ecf9003. Read more!

Senate Jobs Bill Part 2 Introduced; President Obama Visits Savannah Technical College

Yesterday, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) introduced the second phase of the Senate’s Job Agenda. The introduced bill, known as the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act, would be a substitute amendment to H.R. 4213, the Tax Extenders Act of 2009. The bill provides unemployment insurance and COBRA health benefits from February 28, 2010 – December 31, 2010. The total package costs $150 billion.

Additionally, the bill extends a number of tax credits that have expired, including the qualified tuition deduction, research and development credit, increased funding for state Medicaid programs, and a number of credits aimed at small businesses. This bill does not include funding for an “Education Jobs Fund.”

To view the press release, go to: http://finance.senate.gov/press/Bpress/2010press/prb030110b.pdf

At present, it is unclear how the Senate will proceed with this bill. The Senate is currently working to consider extending unemployment insurance for one month, but the Senate cannot finalize action because of a procedural objection. Meanwhile, the House Democratic leaders are working to gather support to pass the first part of the Senate Jobs bill. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is trying to gather support for the Senate Jobs bill. The House leadership expects to consider the Senate Jobs bill sometime this week.

In other news, President Barack Obama visited Savannah Technical College in Georgia today as part his “Main Street Tour.” The President spoke to students of the Savannah YouthBuild program, which puts at-risk youth through a combined GED/construction program, as part of his continuing effort to vocalize his support for community and technical college-based workforce training programs. During the visit, he announced a newly proposed program designed to provide incentives for homeowners to retrofit their homes in a more energy-efficient manner. The Home Star program, which was first outlined in the president's State of the Union address, would provide rebates to homeowners of up to $3,000 for making energy efficient improvements to their houses. Customers would be eligible for direct rebates at the point of sale, according to the White House.

"This is a commonsense approach that will help jump start job creation while making our economy stronger," the President said. "It's what's right to plan for our future." The President has also visited Lehigh Carbon Community College in Pennsylvania and Lorain County Community College in Ohio as part of the tour.

Additionally, the White House is hosting a discussion on the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) with White House Domestic Policy Director Melody Barnes and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

For more information, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/03/02/reforming-student-loans-paving-road-opportunity Read more!