The Senate on Thursday approved 51-49 an amendment offered by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) to the Senate's Budget Resolution bill, increasing discretionary education spending by $5.4 billion for FY 2006. In addition, the House of Representatives completed action on its Budget
Resolution, which was unchanged after several amendments increasing education
spending were defeated.
[Important Note: This information is accurate as of late Thursday. However, we are aware of word circulating in the Senate that Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) might attempt to strip the Kennedy amendment from the Budget Resolution, thereby negating the additional funding. See Monday's Today's News for late developments.]
The Senate continued debate on its FY 2006 Budget Resolution Thursday and at one point held a series of consecutive votes, 26 in all. Among the votes held today were two of interest to postsecondary institutionsKennedy's amendment and one by Harkin. Among the assumptions contained in the Kennedy amendment on how the additional $5.4 billion for FY 2006 would be spent are the following: an increase in the Pell Grant maximum award to $4,500; restore funding for TRIO, GEAR UP, LEAP, and Perkins loans FCC; and provide for cost of college increases in FSEOG, Federal Work-Study, and graduate education programs. These assumptions follow the recommendations of the Student Aid Alliance, of which NASFAA is a member. The Kennedy amendment also assume a guarantee of up to $23,000 in student loan forgiveness for four years of teaching by new math, science, and special education teachers in high need schools, and restores the President's proposed cuts to job training/adult literacy.
The Kennedy amendment also restores funding for the Perkins Vocational Education Act that is important to many community colleges. President Bush had recommended elimination of the Perkins Voc/Ed program. An earlier amendment by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) restoring Perkins Voc/Ed program funding had failed on a 44-56 vote, but the Kennedy amendment preserved an assumption of funding for that program.
The House of Representatives completed action on its Budget Resolution by a vote of 218-214, which was unchanged after several amendments increasing education spending were defeated. Among those unsuccessful amendments increasing education funding were an amendment by Rep. David Obey (D-Wisc.), which would have added $8 billion for education and related programs but was defeated by a vote of 180-242.
Another amendment was the Democratic substitute, offered by House Budget
Ranking Member Spratt (D-SC), that would have added $4.5 billion to education but was voted down 165-264.
The Congressional Black Caucus substitute would have restored cuts to education programs and funded increases such as full funding for No Child Left Behind, and increased funds for school construction, Pell Grants,
Head Start, and job training. It was defeated by a vote of 134-292.
For further information please see these earlier NASFAA articles.
House
Begins Budget Resolution Debate; Senate Approves Education Amendment as It Slogs
through Scores of Amendments (posted 3/17/05)
NASFAA
State Association Presidents Asked to Contact Congress on Budget Resolutions;
Senate Defeats First Education Amendment(posted 3/15/05)
Committee-Reported
Congressional Budget Resolutions Are First Step to Student Aid Cuts (posted
3/14/05). This article includes a comprehensive discussion of the
congressional Budget Resolution process
Analysis
of President's FY 2006 Budget Request to Congress(posted 3/14/05).
This article includes a comprehensive discussion of President Bush's FY
2006 student aid budget
By Larry Zaglaniczny
NASFAA Director for Congressional Relations
Posted March 18, 2005 on www.NASFAA.org, Web Site of the
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
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