Date: 2005-12-17
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the Second Higher Education Extension Act of 2005. The bill before us today. as the chairman has noted. temporarily extends the laws that govern higher education and student aid while the Congress continues to work to reauthorize the Higher -Education Act. I would also like to note for the record that the Department of Education has informed us that they have no objections to the managers amendment offered by Mr. BOEHNER to this effort. I rise in support of the second Higher Education Extension Act of 2005. The bill before us today temporary extends laws that govern higher education and student aid while Congress continues to work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. It also extends the partial closure of the 9.5 percent loan loophole and teacher loan forgiveness provisions. There has never been a more important time than right now to help students and their families afford a higher education. Despite the tremendous personal and economic benefits of a college education. however. millions of American students and families struggle to pay for college. Last year the maximum Pell grant scholarship was worth $900 lessthan the maximum grant 30 years ago.. The typical student borrower now graduates with $17.500 in debt. while more and more students are working long hours to pay for college. Even with increased borrowing and -longer work hours. millionsof students and families continue to fall short When paying forcollege. But rather than help to make college more affordable and accessible. this weekend the Republican leadership plans to raid the student aid programs by nearly $13 billionthe largest cut in the history of the programs. As a result. students and families will be forced to pay even more for college. Rather than work to build a better. stronger America for future generations. they chose to cut our national commitment to a college education for every qualified student. The Republican leadership plans to use the nearly $13 billion in cuts to deal with Congress budget mess. It is wrong to force Americas students and families to pay for the irresponsible management of the Nations budget. We should be doing more. not less. to significantly increase affordable college opportunities. For years. Democrats and others have been demanding that the majority join us in stopping excess lender subsidiessuch as the 9.5 percent loansand redeploy those billions of dollars in savings to students and their families struggling to pay for college. Billions in taxpayer funds were squandered on supersized lender subsidies that the majority party is only now. under great pressure. conceding should be constraifed. Unfortunately. the raid on student aid misses a golden opportunity to redirect billions of dollars in savings by recycling the excessive subsidies paid to student lenders into additional grant aid for studentswithout any additional costs to taxpayers. .I support this temporary extension today because it ensures that the nearly 11 million students who rely on student grants. loans and workstudy to finance their college education will continue to receive this much needed aid in a timely fashion. However. I urge the Republican leadership and my colleagues to recognize that this is only the first step towards boosting affordable college opportunities and ensuring the Nations global competitiveness. The next step is to stop the raid on student aid and to reinvest all of the savings found from eliminating excessive student lender subsidies towards boosting grant aid. lowering interest rates and fees for student borrowers. Mr. Speaker. I would like to note for the record that the Department of Education has informed us that they have no objection to the managers amendment offered by Representative BOEHNER to reinstate St. Vincents Nursing Schools of Brooklyn and Queens. New York. The St. Vincent nursing schools lost eligibility for Federal student aid in November of this year due to the fact that their parent company. Saint Vincents Catholic Medical Centers of New York. filed for bankruptcy. Under the Higher Education Act. once a school. or parent company of a school. files for bankruptcy they automatically become ineligible for Federal student aid such as student loans and Pell grants. It is our understanding that the representatives for the parent company did not understand that filing for bankruptcy would result in students attending the two nursing schools losing their Federal student aid. The Department of Education has informed sometimes. or to forgo college altogether. Yet. ma us that both schools are in good fiscal stand- Congress has failed to pass the Higher Edu- wh: ing and that a statutory fix. by Congress is cation Act. ma necessary to ensure that the students at these Now. one party controls the White House. on two nursing schools can receive federal stu- the Senate. and the House. the same party. T dent aid again. Yet. they have failed to pass a Higher Edu- obj Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance cation Act. Where are the priorities? Congress tle of my time. seems to have no trouble passing tax cuts for T