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THE DAILY WHIPLINE - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009Sep 16, 2009 (Congressional Documents and Publications/ContentWorks via COMTEX) -- Wednesday, September 16, 2009 House Meets At... 10:00 a.m. For Legislative Business Fifteen "One-Minutes" Per Side Votes Predicted At... First Vote: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Last Vote: 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Any anticipated Member absences for votes this week should be reported immediately to the Office of the Majority Whip at 226-3210. Floor Schedule and Procedure *H. Res. 746 - Rule to provide for consideration of H.R. 3221 - Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (Rep. Polis - Rules): The structured rule provides for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Education and Labor. The rule makes in order those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution. Provides that the amendments made in order may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. The rule provides one motion to recommit the bill with or without instructions. The rule also provides that the Chair may entertain a motion that the Committee rise only if offered by the Chair of the Committee on Science and Technology or his designee. The rule provides that the Chair may not entertain a motion to strike out the enacting words of the bill (as described in clause 9 of Rule XVIII). Debate on the rule will be managed by Rep. Polis, and consideration will proceed as follows: o One hour of debate on the rule. o Possible vote on a Democratic Motion ordering the previous question. Members are urged to vote yes. o Vote on adoption of the rule. Members are urged to vote yes. *H. Res. 745 - Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 3246 - Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009 (Rep. Matsui - Rules): The structured rule provides for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Science and Technology. The rule makes in order those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution. Provides that the amendments made in order may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. The rule provides one motion to recommit the bill with or without instructions. The rule also provides that the Chair may entertain a motion that the Committee rise only if offered by the Chair of the Committee on Science and Technology or his designee. The rule provides that the Chair may not entertain a motion to strike out the enacting words of the bill (as described in clause 9 of Rule XVIII). Debate on the rule will be managed by Rep. Matsui, and consideration will proceed as follows: o One hour of debate on the rule. o Possible vote on a Democratic Motion ordering the previous question. Members are urged to vote yes. o Vote on adoption of the rule. Members are urged to vote yes. *H.R. 3246 - Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009 (Rep. Peters - Science & Technology): Pursuant to H.Res. 745, general debate on the bill will be managed by Science and Technology Committee Chair Rep. Bart Gordon. Debate on the bill will proceed as follows: o One hour of general debate on the bill. o Debate and possible votes on amendments to the bill. o Possible debate and vote on Republican motion to recommit the bill. o Vote on final passage of the bill. Members are urged to VOTE YES. *Begin Consideration of H.R. 3221 - Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (Rep. George Miller - Education & Labor): Pursuant to H.Res. 746, general debate on the bill will be managed by Education and Labor Committee Chair Rep. George Miller. Debate on the bill will proceed as follows: o One hour of general debate on the bill. o Debate and possible votes on amendments to the bill. o Possible debate and vote on Republican motion to recommit the bill. o Possible vote on final passage of the bill. Members are urged to VOTE YES. *Suspension Bill: Today, the House will consider one bill on the Suspension calendar. Bills considered on the Suspension calendar are debatable for 40 minutes; may not be amended; and require a two-thirds vote for passage. If a recorded vote is requested, it will be postponed. 1. H.R. 1713 - To name the South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory of the Department of Agriculture in Lane, Oklahoma, and the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 310 North Perry Street in Bennington, Oklahoma, in honor of former Congressman Wesley "Wes" Watkins (Rep. Boren - Agriculture) *Postponed Suspension Vote: 1. H.Res. 260 - Supporting efforts to reduce infant mortality in the United States (Rep. Cohen - Energy and Commerce) Bill Summary & Key Issues Summary of H.R. 3246 - Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009 *New vehicle technologies are needed to: *strengthen our energy security by reducing our dependence on petroleum; *improve environmental quality by reducing C02 emissions by vehicles; *enhance vehicle choice for American consumers; and *strengthen our economy and protect jobs in the United States. *The existing Vehicle Technologies program at the Department of Energy has tended to shift its focus between individual technologies, as well as between passenger and heavy duty vehicles. The result has been a winner-take-all-approach to vehicle research where one technology receives the large bulk of federal funding, only to have funding reduced before the program can reasonably be expected to develop commercially viable technologies. *Long-term sustained funding on a comprehensive research and development program focusing on a broad range of areas (from near-commercial technologies to exploratory research) is needed to ensure that the United States can develop the new cutting-edge, commercially viable vehicle technologies of the future. *A comprehensive federal vehicle research and development program is critical at a time when both the automotive and commercial trucking industries have limited resources for increasingly expensive research and development. *H.R. 3246 is a bipartisan bill that was reported out of the Science and Technology Committee unanimously by voice vote. *The bill is endorsed by: General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, Nissan, the United Autoworkers, the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, Daimler, Magna International, Delphi, ArvinMeritor, Robert Bosch LLC, Caterpillar, Dueco Odyne, Achates Power, EcoMotors, the Engine Manufacturers Association, and the Connected Vehicle Trade Association. Amendments to H.R. 3246 - Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009 1. Gordon: Would (1) amend title I to require the Secretary of Energy to report to Congress after 18 months, and annually thereafter through 2015, after enactment on the technologies developed, the success of the adopted technologies for commercial applications, and whether those technologies are manufactured in the United States; (2) amend the reporting requirement in title II to clarify that the Secretary of Energy must submit the report to Congress annually; and (3) expand the nonroad systems program from heavy duty nonroad equipment to mobile nonroad equipment.. (20 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. 2. Broun #6: Would freeze authorization amounts at FY2010 levels through FY2013 and cut funding in FY2014. (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE NO. 3. Broun #7: Would add a requirement to title I that the Secretary of Energy submit to Congress an annual report describing activities undertaken in the previous year, active industry participants, efforts to recruit new participants, progress of the program in meeting goals and timelines, and a strategic plan for funding of activities across agencies. (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. 4. Polis: Would include retrofitting advanced vehicle technologies to existing vehicles as an area of research under the bill. (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. 5. Posey/Kosmas: Would direct the Secretary of Energy to establish within the existing Vehicle Technologies Program an Innovative Automotive Demonstration Program to make competitively awarded grants for the purpose of demonstrating and bringing to market very high energy efficiency vehicles achieving at least 70 miles per gallon. (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. 6. Kennedy: Would amend industry participation in the vehicle research and development program (sec. 101) to include manufacturers of all qualified plug-in electric vehicles. (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. 7. Holt: Would explicitly include agricultural and construction equipment in the nonroad systems pilot program (sec. 204). (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. 8. Marshall: Would require that research into refueling and recharging infrastructure for alternative and hybrid fuel vehicles include the unique challenges facing rural areas. (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. 9. Cohen: Would add hydraulics, flywheels, and compressed air storage as technologies eligible for the proposed program. (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. 10. Donnelly/Souder/DeFazio: Would include recreational vehicles as eligible under the Medium and Heavy Duty Commercial and Transit Vehicles research and development program (sec. 201). (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. 11. Sestak: Would require the Secretary of Energy to research and develop methods of reducing waste and emissions from advanced battery technology and to increase advanced battery calendar and cycle life. (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. 12. Massa: Would authorize support for public-private partnerships and industry programs that seek to overcome barriers to commercial production. (10 minutes) Chairman Gordon recommends that Members VOTE YES. Summary of H.R. 3221 - Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 Now more than ever, Americans need affordable, quality education opportunities to help make our economy strong and competitive again. President Obama has identified an opportunity to make historic investments in our economic future by improving early education opportunities and making college dramatically more affordable - and all at no cost to taxpayers. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act embraces the president's challenge. It will help us reach President Obama's goal of producing the most college graduates by 2020 by making college accessible and transforming the way our student loan programs operate. It will expand quality early education opportunities that will put more children on the path to success. It will strengthen community colleges and training programs to help build a highly-skilled, innovative, 21st century workforce ready for the rigors of a global economy. And it will boost the fiscal health of the country our children will inherit by paying down the deficit. Specifically, the legislation will: Invest the bill's savings in making college affordable and helping more Americans graduate *Invests $40 billion to increase the maximum annual Pell Grant scholarship to $5,550 in 2010 and to $6,900 by 2019. Starting in 2011, the scholarship will be linked to match rising costs-of-living by indexing it to the Consumer Price Index plus 1 percent. *Invests $3 billion to bolster college access and completion support programs for students. It will increase funding for the College Access Challenge Grant program, and will also fund innovative programs at states and institutions that focus on increasing financial literacy and helping retain and graduate students. *Strengthens the Perkins Loan program, a campus-based program that provides low-cost federal loans to students, by providing the program with more reliable forms of credit from the federal government and expanding the program to include significantly more college campuses. *Keeps interest rates low on need-based - or subsidized - federal student loans by making the interest rates on these loans variable beginning in 2012. These interest rates are currently set to jump from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent in 2012. *Makes it easier for families to apply for financial aid by simplifying the FAFSA form. Building on proposals recently put forth by the Obama administration, the legislation will dramatically cut down the number of questions on the form by allowing students and families to apply for aid using the information on their tax returns. *Invests $2.55 billion in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions to provide students with the support they need to stay in school and graduate. Provide reliable, affordable, high-quality Federal student loans for all families *Converts all new federal student lending to the stable, effective and cost-efficient Direct Loan program. Beginning July 1, 2010, all new federal student loans will be originated through the Direct Loan program, instead of through lenders subsidized by taxpayers in the federally-guaranteed student loan program. Unlike the lender-based program, the Direct Loan program is entirely insulated from market swings and can therefore guarantee students access to low-cost federal college loans, in any economy. *Provides all federal student loan borrowers with upgraded, modern, state-of-the-art customer service. Rather than force private industry out of the system, the bill will forge a new public-private partnership that provides all borrowers with the highest-quality customer service when repaying their loans and maintains jobs. It will establish a competitive bidding process that allows the U.S. Department of Education to select lenders based on how well they serve borrowers, educate them financially, and prevent loan defaults. It will provide a role for non-profits to continue servicing student loans. Prepare students and workers for 21st century jobs by providing all Americans with the skills and resources they need to compete *Build a 21st century workforce by encouraging historic partnerships between community colleges, states, businesses, job training and adult education programs. The bill will create a new competitive grant program for community colleges to improve instruction, work with local employers, improve their student support services, and implement other innovative reforms that will lead to a college degree, certificate or industry recognized credential to help fulfill local workforce needs. *Expands access to education by supporting free, high-quality, online training, high school and college courses. The U.S. Department of Education would be authorized to make competitive grants available to eligible colleges, workforce programs or other entities to help support the development of these courses. *Ensures that community college students can learn in modern, updated, state-of-the-art facilities by renovating campuses in need of repair. Ensures that the next generation of students enters kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed in school *Increases the number of low income children entering kindergarten prepared to succeed by reforming state standards and practices for birth-to-five early learning programs. The legislation would create an Early Learning Challenge Fund, which would award competitive grants to states that implement comprehensive standards-based reform of the state's early learning system that will transform early education standards and practices, build an effective early childhood workforce, and improve the school readiness outcomes of young children. *Provides every child with access to a world-class learning environment by providing school districts with funds for school modernization, renovation, and repair projects that will create healthier, safer, and more energy-efficient teaching and learning climates. Meet Pay-As-You-Go fiscally responsible principles and reduce the deficit *Saves taxpayers $87 billion over ten years by switching to the cheaper Direct Loan program, according to the Congressional Budget Office. In addition to investing in college aid, this legislation will also direct $10 billion in savings back to the U.S. Treasury to help pay down the deficit. Amendments to H.R. 3221 - Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 1. George Miller (Manager's): The Manager's amendment: makes several clarifications to the authority of the Secretary with respect to the College Access Challenge Grants, State Innovation and Completion Grants, and Innovation in College Access and Completion National Activities Grants; ensures that services for veterans under the bill and current law are properly coordinated; establishes a program to provide financial assistance to dependent children of a public safety officer (e.g., firefighters, paramedics, other first responders) who died in the line of duty; authorizes a program to promote and support teacher excellence; makes several clarifications to the loan servicing process; makes clarifications to the grants for modernization, renovation, or repair of public school facilities; replaces a priority provision about state spending with a requirement that the Secretary consider the State's recent financial commitment to early learning when evaluating Quality Pathway grant renewals; clarifies the Secretary's authority to award American Graduation Initiative grants to community colleges, including adding services and information literacy activities to the uses of funds; specifies that Tribal Colleges and Universities are eligible to receive American Graduation Initiative grants; requires the Secretary of Education to provide technical assistance to institutions of higher education in operating the Direct Loan program, including assisting institutions with the transition into the program; adds a requirement in the state application of how programs will improve early learning services to better meet the needs of children who have experienced abuse or neglect, or have been exposed to violence or toxic stress, homelessness, parental substance abuse or mental illness, or early behavioral and peer relationship problems; and clarifies that both part-time and full-time students are eligible to benefit from the Year-Round Pell Grant program. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 2. Hoekstra: The amendment would strike $6.6 billion of the bill's investments that go to school modernization, renovation, and repair programs for K-12 public schools and community colleges. This past May, the House voted overwhelmingly to pass the K-12 school modernization portions of this bill when H.R. 2187, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act was brought to the floor. Additionally, the funds included for community college modernization, renovation, and repair are a critical piece of the President's efforts to reform community colleges. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE NO. 3. Cardoza: The amendment would direct the Secretary of Education to prioritize grants to community colleges located in areas with high unemployment when awarding grants for community college reform. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 4. McMorris Rodgers: The amendment would prohibit funds from going to school districts for modernization, renovation, or repair if they received funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for that purpose. Since school modernization was an allowable use of funds under the Recovery Act, no school district would be eligible to receive any funds under this Act for modernization, renovation, or repair. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE NO. 5. Pingree: The amendment would add school districts that serve a geographic area that contain a military installation selected for base closure to the list for which K-12 school modernization funds are reserved for distressed areas and areas affected by natural disaster. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 6. Pingree/Ross: The amendment would make eligible for community college modernization funding those community colleges who received funds for construction, modernization, renovation, and repair under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, or under the Higher Education Act of 1965. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 7. Foxx: The amendment would strike $7 billion in historic investments in grants to strengthen the nation's community colleges provided to institutions and states. The American Graduation Initiative, of which these investments are a part, is a Presidential priority. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE NO. 8. Reyes: The amendment would allow community colleges to use grant money received under this Act to increase the provision of training for members of the National Guard and Reserves, and for men and women returning from active duty. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 9. Etheridge/Welch/David Price/Pomeroy/John Lewis/David Scott/Pingree/Tonko/Matsui: The amendment would clarify that states and organizations receiving funds under the Access & Completion Innovation Fund may use these funds for borrower services, including delinquency prevention, default aversion, and loan counseling. The amendment also authorizes the Department of Education to contract directly with guaranty agencies for such sevices. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 10. Driehaus: The amendment would require that states receiving State Innovation Completion Grants have plans to increase postsecondary enrollment and completion among dislocated workers. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 11. Cuellar: The amendment would require the Secretary of Education to conduct outreach activities to educate students and their families about the transition to Federal Direct Lending. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 12. Chris Murphy: amendment would clarify that states may use funds awarded as Quality Pathways Grants under Section 403(a) of Title IV of H.R. 3221 to establish or support partnerships with institutions of higher education that support effective education and training for early learning providers. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 13. Childers: The amendment would require campus Veterans Resource Officers to act as a link between student veterans and mental health care providers at the Department of Veterans Affairs in order to help improve college completion rates for veterans. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 14. Adler: The amendment would give priority for State Innovation Completion grants to entities that promote activities to increase degree or certificate completion for students who are veterans. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 15. Himes/McCarthy/Schwartz: The amendment would clarify that states and organizations receiving funds under the Access & Completion Innovation Fund may use the funds for financial literacy activities and clarify that financial literacy and counseling is part of the outreach services defined for state non-profit servicers. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 16. Kilroy: The amendment would direct the Secretary of Education to prioritize grants to community colleges and states that are operating programs with a focus on students who are dislocated workers. (10 minutes) rman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 17. Minnick: The amendment would include in the benchmarks on which a community college will be evaluated under this Act if they allow servicemen and women to transfer academic credits earned while serving in the Armed Forces between institutions of higher education. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 18. Perriello: The amendment would require states to evaluate and report disparities by geographic area (rural and urban) of available high-quality early learning programs for low-income children, and steps the state will take to address the disparity. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 19. Schauer: The amendment would give priority in awarding national grants under the Access & Completion Innovation Fund to programs designed to encourage dislocated workers to complete their degrees. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 20. Teague #37: The amendment would direct the Secretary of Education to prioritize grants to community colleges that are operating programs with a focus on students who are veterans. Also, the amendment would add to the allowable uses of funds programs that prepare students to enter careers in the Veterans Administration and occupations in energy-related fields. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 21. Teague #41: The amendment clarifies that all savings in the bill not otherwise expended through programs and reforms in this Act go towards deficit reduction. This legislation has mandatory savings of approximately $10 billion. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 22. Souder: The amendment would reinstate a provision in current law that makes a student ineligible for Federal student aid (such as student loans and Pell Grants) if they are convicted for possessing drugs. As part of the FAFSA simplification efforts in the bill, HR 3221 removes this prohibition; however, HR 3221 retains the current law provision that makes students ineligible aid for those convicted of selling drugs. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE NO. 23. Flake: The amendment would prohibit funds appropriated under the bill to be used for Congressional earmarks as defined by clause 9(d) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE YES. 24. Kline/Guthrie: The amendment substitutes the entire bill by extending the temporary program enacted by Congress in 2008 ("ECASLA") until 2014 and commissioning a study on alternative student loan delivery models. Additionally, the amendment cuts benefits from students by eliminating $760 million out of the Academic Competiveness and SMART Grant programs, which provides grants to low-income students who are studying in high-need STEM fields. The Republican substitute fails to invest in any of the programs in HR 3221, including $40 billion in Pell Grant funding, $10 billion in strengthening our nation's community colleges, $4.1 billion in modernization, renovation, and repair of public school facilities, and $8 billion in early childhood programs. (10 minutes) Chairman Miller recommends that Members VOTE NO. Quote of the Day "The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly." -- John F. Kennedy The Office of the House Majority Whip - H-329, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 - p. (202)226-3210 - f. (202)225-9253 |