Date: 2007-10-09
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Madam Access Act. now known as the Tuition AssistSpeaker. I yield myself such time as I ance Grant Program. was passed unanimay consume. mously. by voice vote. President Clinton had I rise today in strong support of H.R. included sufficient money in his Budget Sub1124. legislation I introduced earlier mission that year. and a Statement of Adminthis year to extend the District of Co- istration Policy endorsed the approach we had lumbia Tuition Assistance Program taken in authorizing use of those funds. through 2012. I am deeply proud of our hard. bipartisan efThis past May. the House approved fort in enacting this measure and in reauthorthe bill overwhelmingly and sent it to izing it 2 years ago. the S ete.Lst mnth. aft et ading o My thanks to ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON. the Senate. Last month. after adding who was ranking member of the District of Coan amendment to exclude families who lumbia Subcommittee in 1999. and who has make more than $1 million a year from lumbiSslyito inhan wh o as participating in the program. the Sen- worked tirelessly to enhance this legislation aeddever since. ate passed the bill 960. The amended I would also like to thank my thencounterlegislation is now pending before the part in the Senate. GEORGE VOINOVICH. for his House. I urge my colleagues to support continuingsupport. and Senators WARNER and it. DURBIN. for working with us to improve this Prior to the creation of this program legislation. . in 1999. residents of the Nations cap- The 5year reauthorizing legislation before ital did not have the luxury afforded to you today will enable District residents to conhigh school graduates everywhere else tinue to attend colleges and universities at inin the country. the chance to attend state rates. President Bush. in his Budget public colleges and universities at in- Submission for fiscal year 2008. has included State tuition rates. This program lev- sufficient funds to make this happen. els the playing field- by allowing Dis- ThenMayor Anthony Williams. and now trict graduates to attend public col- D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty. have both strongly leges and universities at inState tui- supported this law as being very important for tion rates. District high school graduates. As documented The success of the Tuition Assistance to this subcommittee. the graduation rate for Program is overwhelming and indis- public school students in the city has doubled putable. College enrollment of public since this law went into effect.. We have high school graduates in the District incentivized staying in school. has doubled in the 7 years since the This law is a classic "leveling of the playing program was created from 30 percent to field". No city or county in the country is re60 percent. with 5.300 District grad- quired to supplement its instate rate with local uates currently participating in the funds. and neither should the taxpayers in the program. Few. if any other. federally Nations capital be saddled with this burden. funded initiatives can claim this level Neither should the city be penalized for its of success. own success in administering this program. The program has always received Back on March 4. 1999. when I introduced broad bipartisan support. Both Houses thisbill. I went to nearby Eastern High School of Congress unanimously passed au- with Ms. NORTON. I was deeply moved by the thorizing legislation for the program in reaction of the students. I will never forget 1999. and again in 2005. And the Presi- how so many took our hands. looked into our dent has always supported full funding eyes. and thanked us for introducing the origifor the program in his annual budget nal bill. request to Congress. Im proud of all we have been able to do in The proven success of the program the Nations capital since 1995. when the city and the Districts unique status make was literally bankrupt. Economic development. our choice simple. Congress should con- public safety. the real estate market. and so tinue to support this legislation to pro- many other aspects of city life have changed vide higher education opportunities to for the better. high school. graduates in the Nations But nothing has given me more satisfaction capital. I cant tell you how many par- than working to improve educational opporents told me "We would have moved to tunity. Fighting for equal educational opporthe suburbs if the program didnt tunity is one of the reasons I entered public exist." life. Madam Speaker. I urge my col- We need a healthy city to have a healthy leagues to support a level playing field Washington region. Reauthorizing this law. which has expanded higher educational choices. is an enormous leap forward. It is a strong part of our vision for the future. I reserve the balance of my time.