Senate Invokes Cloture on ED Jobs, Clearing Way to Passage

Today, the Senate invoked cloture on the Murray-Harkin (Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA)) amendment to H.R. 1586, by a 61-38 vote. The amendment was inserted into the bill after H.R. 1586, the FAA reauthorization bill, failed to pass. The amendment provides $10 billion for education jobs and $16.1 billion for federal Medicaid payments. This amendment is different than the other versions, because the funding included is fully offset with rescissions. The amendment still needs to be passed, but the cloture marked a pivotal moment. The funding for education jobs is allocated solely for K-12, but states provide assurances on funding for K-12 and higher education. If the Senate passes the bill, the House will need to pass it as well. With the House of Representatives out for the summer recess period, PeSpeaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) just announced that the House will be called into session next week to pass the bill once the Senate completes action.

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed S. 3686, its version of the on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education FY2011 appropriations bill, by a party-line vote of 18-12. The bill provides over $170 billion in discretionary funding, and $66.4 billion is allocated for the Department of Education. The bill provides funds for a $5,550 Pell Grant maximum, but it does not contain funds to address the $5.7 billion Pell Grant shortfall. This year, the Senate will provide over $2.7 billion more than the FY2010 allocation, but this amount is still almost $1 billion less than the Administration’s request. The Committee did not fund the Career Pathways Program, noting the new Community College and Career Training Grant program. Senate leadership remarked that Congress is very unlikely to consider a final appropriations bill until after the fall elections.

The Committee released a summary of the appropriations bill, which can viewed at: http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news.cfm?method=news.view&id=5ac52a3a-5218-48fa-aa01-9264ca755118.

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Education Secretary Arne Duncan Testifies Before Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees

June 3, 2009—Today, Education Secretary Arne Duncan testified before the Senate Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Subcommittee and the House Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee to address "The Administration's FY2010 Budget Request for the Department of Education."

Duncan told the Senate that "this budget makes important choices to continue and expand education for our children from cradle to career."

The Department of Education has submitted an FY2010 budget for an overall $46.7 billion of discretionary funding, an increase of $1.3 billion over FY2009. One of the goals of the budget, Duncan said, is to assure that students have the financial aid and student loans they need not just to enter college, but to complete their college educations.

"The Recovery Act made an important down payment in our effort to expand student aid," said Duncan. "In addition to more aid, we want to make sure that students are not just attending college, but graduating. The stimulus bill provided $17.1 billion so that we would increase the maximum Pell award from $4,850 to $5,350. In our fiscal year 2010 budget, we propose important and permanent changes to assure students have access to federal grants, aid, and loans. The first is to move the Pell program from discretionary to a mandatory appropriated entitlement. The second, we propose to link the grant increase in the maximum grant to the consumer price index, plus one percent every year, which will allow the maximum grant to grow at a rate higher than inflation so that students can keep up with the rising cost of college."

The Education Department would pay for this by improving and streamlining the federal student loan program. All loans would be moved over time from the Federal Family Education Loan Program to the direct-loan program. Duncan stressed that doing this would improve the loan program without creating a burden for tax payers.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) expressed concern over changing the Pell program from discretionary to mandatory, saying he doesn't "have a closed mind about it," but that the issue needs further discussion.

Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) expressed concern over the need for an improved system of matching practical and technical skills acquired during higher education with skills needed once students are working. She said she will soon be introducing legislation to bring together "all the players from the schools to the community to the community leaders, labor, business, workforce leaders to design programs for their own communities." She asked whether there is a place in the budget for these needs.

Duncan responded that "community colleges play a huge role in the trajectory of education continuum" and that community colleges "have been a highly under-utilized, undervalued resource." He mentioned the nomination of Martha Kanter, chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District in California, to the position of Undersecretary of Education as a "strategic" placement to include community colleges at the federal legislative level.

"It's so important," Duncan said, "to help shape the opportunities that our high school and community college students have. We can't do enough of that. We have to tie education to the real world."

View video of Secretary Duncan's testimony to the Senate. Read more!

LAW E-Alert: Congress Moves to Pass Budget Resolution

April 24, 2009—It now appears that Congress and the Administration have reached a tentative agreement on the parameters for a final budget resolution for FY2010. According to press accounts, the budget resolution will include budget reconciliation language that will pave the way for converting the Pell Grant program into a mandatory (entitlement) program. The reconciliation process would allow Congress to move legislation without a threat of a Senate filibuster and would only require 51 votes to pass in the Senate.

ACCT has come out in support of the Administration’s proposal on converting Pell. ACCT’s letter can be found at: http://www.acct.org/advocacy/letters/

Earlier this week, the Senate announced its conferees for the Budget Conference Committee: Budget Committee Chair Kent Conrad (D-ND), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Budget Committee Ranking Member Judd Gregg (R-NH). The House also announced its conference members: House Budget Committee chairman John Spratt (D-SC), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX). The announcement of the conferees is an indication that a tentative agreement has been reached.

The conference committee will likely meet next week and finalize a budget resolution quickly. The Administration has indicated that they would like to have the budget resolution passed by the end of President Obama's first 100 days. The budget resolution does not require the President’s signature. The resolution is vital in shaping the appropriations process for the given fiscal year. Read more!