After four days and nights of free-flowing and often intense debate, the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 235-189 a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through September 30. The measure, which reduces government spending by $61 billion, includes significant cuts to student aid programs, but also maintains or increases spending levels for others.
“This week, for the first time in many years, the people’s House was allowed to work its will — and the result was one of the largest spending cuts in American history,” Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said. “For the good of our economy and our democracy, I call on Senate Majority Leader Reid to allow it to come to an immediate vote.”
H.R. 1 reduces the maximum Pell Grant by $845 and eliminates funding for the federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and the Liberal Education and America’s Promise campaign. Provisions to strengthen HBCUs increased from $85 million to $98.3 million. Funding for Hispanic-serving institutions and tribal colleges also increased from $10.8 million to $11.3 million, and $30.2 million to $31.7 million, respectively. Meanwhile funding for Native American non-tribal institutions; science, technology, engineering and math programs; and critical foreign languages were cut. The bill maintained the earmark for Thurgood Marshall scholarships.
An amendment late Thursday night, offered by Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee; and Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., barring the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed gainful employment regulation, passed by a vote of 289-136. It was preceded by impassioned pleas from both sides of the aisle.
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., argued that a “huge majority” of for-profit institutions are rip-off schools.
“While I was working with poor students in South Los Angeles, we were trying to get them into GED classes. The recruiters would come along and tell them that they could get them into their schools, they could help them get Pell Grants and they could help them get a career. Then, lo and behold, they would sign up,” said Waters.
“This is the next big scandal in America,” she continued. “You think that the meltdown that we just had and the foreclosures that we’re experiencing across this country are bad, you wait until the investigations are done and the truth is told and the amount of money is counted from the rip-offs.”
