House Fails to Override President’s Veto of Education Funding Bill

Despite the best efforts of advocates, the House failed to override President Bush’s veto of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill (H.R.3043) on Thursday, November 15. The bill failed 277-141, just two votes shy of the required two-thirds majority required to pass the measure.

A $25 million increase for the Perkins Basic State Grant program contained in the bill is now in limbo, along with increases to all other education programs. The bill contained a $3.2 billion increase in education funding from FY 2007 and a $4.5 billion increase in the President’s requested FY08 budget. Congress must now identify another strategy for passing the legislation when it returns in December from a Thanksgiving recess. Only the Defense bill has passed Congress and been signed by the President, despite the October 1 deadline by which all appropriations bills are supposed to be completed.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he will work to produce an omnibus bill that will combine all appropriations bills into one large legislative package; however neither the President nor Congress has agreed to a final strategy. President Bush has stated that he will veto any funding bill that exceeds his overall budget. He has proposed $933 billion in spending for all 12 annual appropriations bills, while Democrats want $23 billion more. The omnibus legislation would likely split the difference between the President’s and Congress’ funding request. That means identifying approximately $12 billion in cuts.

ACTE would like to thank all members and CTE advocates who placed calls to Congressional offices in an attempt to sway support for the override. Your efforts did make a difference and the outcome of the vote was extremely close. ACTE will continue to advocate for a much-needed funding increase to the Perkins program, which has not received a significant increase in six years.

For additional information and the latest updates on the FY 2008 budget and appropriations process, visit ACTE’s Web site at http://www.acteonline.org/policy/legislative_issues/funding.cfm.

House Education and Labor Committee Approves HEA Reauthorization Bill

On November 15, the House Education and Labor Committee voted 44-0 to approve a Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization bill. The Committee spent two days debating the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, H.R. 4137, and offering amendments, but the resulting legislation remained bi-partisan.

Key elements of the House bill include allowing Pell Grants to be used year-round, creating a grant program that would partner colleges and local businesses to help prepare students for specific in-demand jobs, establishing a “higher education price index” and a watch list to allow for the comparison of tuition increases at various institutions, simplifying student aid applications, and requiring a host of new reporting requirements. While the bill is bi-partisan, reaction from the broader higher education community is mixed. 

Much work still remains to be done on the HEA reauthorization. Committee Chairman George Miller hopes to move the bill to the House floor in December, after the Thanksgiving recess. The Senate has already passed its bill, S. 1642, so there is hope for final legislation late in 2007 or early in 2008.  For more details and the latest updates on the HEA reauthorization, visit ACTE’s Web site at http://www.acteonline.org/policy/legislative_issues/HEA.cfm.