Kennedy Education Amendment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: LAURA CAPPS/MELISSA WAGONER MARCH 17,2005 (202) 224-2633

Washington, D.C. Today the Senate passed Senator Kennedy's education amendment to budget that would help middle class families pay for college and help all Americans by ensuring that our citizens are equipped for the jobs of the global economy. Republicans stood with Democrats to reject Bush's budget cuts to higher education and vocational training and supported an increase in the maximum of Pell Grants. Kennedy's amendment will strengthen math and science education, boost college loan funding, and restore cuts to critical programs such as GEAR UP, TRIO, and adult literacy training.

"Today Democrat and Republicans worked together on behalf of America's students to turn this era of globalization into a new era of opportunity for all Americans. I am pleased by my amendment's passage and the signal it sends that this Senate can come together and restore Bush's education budget cuts so that students can compete in the global economy," Senator Kennedy said.

The amendment takes into account the many challenges we face as we witness the massive transformation of our industries and our workforce in this global economy. Since 1975, we have fallen from 3rd to 15th in producing scientists and engineers and we rank only 29th in the industrialized world in math and science education. Within ten years 3.4 million jobs are at risk of being shipped overseas. Instead of bolstering the support our students need to compete in this economy, the President's budget seeks to do the opposite, such as eliminating the Perkins loan program that currently helps 675,00 students across the country afford college. Kennedy's $5.4 billion amendment was paid for by closure of corporate tax loopholes.

A description of the education amendment is below:

KENNEDY -- Higher Education/Job Training Budget Amendment

Three Part Strategy to Meet the Challenges of a 21st Century Global Economy:

(1) Giving high schools graduates the opportunity to attain a college degree and better compete in the global economy by:

Securing resources for the Higher Education Student Aid Alliance proposal of a $1.5 billion increase in Pell Grant funding to pay for a $4,500 maximum grant today -- not in five years. (Note: 86,689 Massachusetts college students will get larger Pell Grants, if Kennedy's bipartisan amendment is agreed to by House Republicans as well.)

Securing resources for the Higher Education Student Aid Alliance proposal of a $1.6 billion in Appropriations Committee discretionary authority to restore Bush budget eliminations of TRIO, GEAR UP, LEAP, Perkins loans, and provide for cost of college increases in work-study, graduate education, and SEOG scholarships.

(2) Ensuring America is competitive in the global economy by maintaining strength in math, science, and technology by committing to the resources needed to:

Provide new math, science, and special education teachers in high need schools a guarantee of up to $23,000 in student loan forgiveness for four years of teaching. Estimated impact: 57,000 new math, science, and special education teachers per year to get full federal student loan forgiveness.

(3) Ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to work by restoring Bush budget cuts to job training/adult literacy ($975 million) and vocational education ($1.327 billion).

Total Cost: Approximately $5.4 billion in discretionary spending intended for education paid for by closing $5.4 billion in corporate tax loopholes. ##

For more information on the amendment, please see: http://kennedy.senate.gov/index_high.html

Comments? How will this impact, if at all, distance learning? Can non-RA schools join in the mission and spirit of it?

 

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50 Bills from the 109th Congress ranked by relevance on "education ". 50 bills containing your phrase exactly as entered.

Listing of 50 bills containing your phrase exactly as entered.

1 . Driver Licensing and Education Improvement Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.563.IS]
2 . Make College Affordable Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.401.IH]
3 . Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.250.IS]
4 . Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005 (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by Senate)[S.250.ES]
5 . Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005 (Reported in Senate)[S.250.RS]
6 . Keep Our PACT Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.363.IH]
7 . Allied Health Reinvestment Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.473.IS]
8 . College Literacy in Finance and Economics (College LIFE) Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.468.IS]
9 . The College Savings Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.76.IS]
10 . Higher Education Affordability and Equity Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.1380.IH]
11 . National Security Language Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.115.IH]
12 . Veterans Education Affordability Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.1206.IH]
13 . To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction from gross income for uncompensated education costs incurred by veterans' survivors and dependents who are in receipt... (Introduced in House)[H.R.924.IH]
14 . ROLE Model Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.529.IH]
15 . National Science Education Incentive Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.450.IH]
16 . To authorize the appropriation of funds to be used to recruit, hire, and train 100,000 new classroom paraprofessionals in order to improve educational achievement for children. (Introduced in House)[H.R.826.IH]
17 . College Quality, Affordability, and Diversity Improvement Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.371.IS]
18 . Dollars to the Classroom Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.182.IH]
19 . Vocational and Technical Education for the Future Act (Reported in House)[H.R.366.RH]
20 . Quality Education for All Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.15.IS]
21 . Vocational and Technical Education for the Future Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.366.IH]
22 . International Studies in Higher Education Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.509.IH]
23 . Full Funding for IDEA Now Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.1107.IH]
24 . Graduate Opportunities in Higher Education Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.510.IH]
25 . Education Funding Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.605.IS]
26 . College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.609.IH]
27 . College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.507.IH]
28 . Higher Education Affordability and Fairness Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.117.IH]
29 . Reservist and National Guard Opportunities and Protection of Education Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.199.IH]
30 . Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should establish an international education policy to foster mutual understanding among nations, promote a world free of terrorism,... (Introduced in House)[H.CON.RES.100.IH]
31 . Government Reservation Accelerated Development for Education Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.390.IH]
32 . Education, Achievement, and Opportunity Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.441.IH]
33 . Higher Education Science and Technology Competitiveness Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.226.IH]
34 . Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.921.IH]
35 . David Shick Honesty in Campus Justice Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.81.IH]
36 . Family Education Freedom Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.406.IH]
37 . La Cura Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.192.IH]
38 . Allied Health Professions Reinvestment Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.215.IH]
39 . State and Local Education Flexibility Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.1177.IH]
40 . Comprehensive Learning Assessment for Students and Schools (CLASS) Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.224.IH]
41 . Recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education, and for other purposes. (Introduced in House)[H.CON.RES.45.IH]
42 . Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.670.IH]
43 . Student Aid Reward Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.1425.IH]
44 . Whereas America's Catholic schools are internationally acclaimed for their academic excellence, but provide students more than a superior scholastic education; (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)[H.RES.23.EH]
45 . Military Educational Parity Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.333.IH]
46 . Gifted and Talented Education Enhancement Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.1156.IH]
47 . Honoring the contributions of Catholic schools. (Introduced in House)[H.RES.23.IH]
48 . Earning and Learning Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.1030.IH]
49 . To amend the General Education Provisions Act to clarify the definition of a student regarding family educational and privacy rights. (Introduced in House)[H.R.130.IH]
50 . The Education Savings for Students Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.75.IS]