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Washington Partner Perspectives For August 14, 2007

Today’s questions are answered by Michelle White, a senior legislative associate at the firm.

Prior to joining Washington Partners, LLC, White worked for Senator Jeff Bingaman from New Mexico and most recently, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), where she provided policy guidance, as well as public and government relations support on a wide range of issues affecting secondary schools. In addition, White worked closely with NASSP's two student associations, the National Honor Society and the National Association of Student Councils, which reach more than one million students across the country.

The August Congressional recess historically has marked the time when the majority party in Congress assesses their success. In the area of education, what has been accomplished?

White:
Overall, the Democrats are likely pleased with the first stretch of the 110th. Congress passed: the long stalled reauthorization of Head Start (both the House and Senate have passed versions that are now in conference); an expanded Children’s Health Insurance Program known as SCHIP; “Competitiveness” legislation that has now been signed by the President; and the full House and Senate Appropriations Committee have passed spending bills that dramatically increase education funding.

One major education bill not yet complete is the FY 2008 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill. Where is that bill now and why hasn’t it passed yet?

White:
I think one would be hard pressed to find an individual who felt that a spending bill for education would be completed and signed by the President by the August recess. Not to be overly pessimistic, but that is not something that has occurred in recent memory and there was no reason to believe it would happen for FY 2008.

That said, while there has been significant progress in both houses on the bill – the President has threatened to veto both measures. The House-passed bill, H.R. 3043, contains a healthy increase in overall spending on education (increasing Title I by approximately $1.5 billion) and other domestic priorities, topping the President’s budget request by approximately $12 billion. Passing by a vote of 276 – 140, Democrats do not have enough to overturn a veto and are hard at work trying to stave one off.

On the other side of the Capitol, the Senate Appropriations Committee agreed to a bill approximately $10 billion over the President’s request and overall increases funding for NIH and Title I by $1 billion. A veto threat hangs over this bill as well and with a provision added related to stem cell research, the Administration will have even more reason to ultimately say “no” to the bill.

Many of HEWI’s readers focus on higher education. The Senate has passed a Higher Education Act reauthorization bill, S. 1642, but the House has yet to consider it in Committee let alone before the full House. Will we see a House HEA reauthorization bill? If so, when?

White:
Yes. House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) has stated that he will not work from the Senate’s bill but will introduce his own proposal. While staff assert this bill will be come in September, they have said the same of an NCLB proposal. It is true that staff has surprised some observers already this year, but getting both of these packages before the House Committee in September would be a feat.

The biggest news story in education so far this year has been the student loan scandal and related budget cuts. Will the budget reconciliation bill, H.R. 2669, be completed before October 1?

White:
Work is reportedly being done by staff to iron out the differences between the House and Senate passed versions of H.R. 2669. They would like to beat the effective dates of many of the provisions of October 1, but that could prove difficult.

Setting aside the general unhappiness of the student loan community regarding this legislation, how are the significant increases in grant aid being viewed by colleges and universities?

White:
Overall the bill has been viewed positively as a needed infusion of resources to assist needy students. Having said that, long-time higher education advocates are uneasy with the new elements of some federal aid programs, such as merit, course of study and “rigor” of one’s high school curriculum. Some “purists” might argue that federal monies should be invested in grant aid that is awarded based on need alone, and point to the dismal buying power of the Pell Grant at a time when new grant programs—like SMART Grants and Academic Competitiveness Grants are diverting scarce funds to other priorities.

Washington Partners, LLC is a full service government affairs and public relations consulting firm that has built a reputation for producing results. The partners — long-term insiders in education policy — came together in 2002 to form Washington Partners, LLC. The firm boasts a staff of strategic and innovative thinkers providing a wide array of services that are customized to meet clients' needs. By consistently exceeding client goals and expectations, the firm's client list continues to grow. The firm’s Web site may be found at: www.wpllc.net.

Ms. White may be e-mailed at mwhite@wpllc.net reached by telephone at 202.289.3900.


Washington Partners, LLC is a full service government affairs and public relations consulting firm that has built a reputation for producing results. The partners - long-term insiders in education policy - came together in 2002 to form Washington Partners, LLC. The firm boasts a staff of strategic and innovative thinkers providing a wide array of services that are customized to meet clients' needs. By consistently exceeding client goals and expectations, the firm's client list continues to grow. The firm's website may be found at: www.wpllc.net.

"Partner Perspectives" is produced weekly by Higher Education Washington, Inc. and is available on both the Washington Partners, LLC website and under "Opinions and Interviews" in the HEWI Quad located at www.hewiquad.net. Opinions expressed in "Partner Perspectives" are those of the person interviewed and not those of Washington Partners, LLC, its clients, or of Higher Education Washington or the HEWI Quad.

"Partner Perspectives" may be reprinted upon request made to Higher Education Washington, Inc. or Washington Partners, LLC.