▶ 0:08:42The committee will please come to order. A quorum is present. The committee meets today pursuant to notice to consider four bills. The chair announces that requests for recorded votes may be postponed pursuant to clause two of rule 11 of the rules of the House of Representatives and committee rule 14B. Without objection, the chair may recess the committee at any point.
▶ 0:09:12It's no secret that uh public trust in postsecary education continues to wne. A Pew Research study a few months ago found that 70% of Americans think higher education is going in the wrong An increase of nearly 15% since 2020. A political poll uh last week revealed that only 25% of Americans think college is worth the cost.
▶ 0:09:42And shockingly, 60% of college graduates graduates say it wasn't worth it. More and more students are wondering if they should even enter postsecary education at all. Postsecary education is a promise. The students who invest their time and money will receive an education worth it. I'm proud that this committee has been at the forefront of restoring trust in the promise.
▶ 0:10:14Reforms in the working families tax cuts made real progress and today I'm excited to address four more bills that will benefit students as they continue their journey to enter the workforce. First, we're making sure homeschoolers have the same access to higher higher education as everyone else.
▶ 0:10:34About 3 to 4% of students are homeschooled and research research shows that they often outperform their public school peers or private school peers for that matter. That success continues at the college level. Homeschoolers tend to perform better on the ACT, stay in college longer, and attain higher college GPA.
▶ 0:10:56However, under current law, the Higher Education Act classifies homeschoolers as quote students who are not high school graduates end quote. That's misleading. Students who meet state and local law requirements are in fact high school graduates. HR6392, the Homeschool Graduation Recognition Act by Representative Mark Harris, clarifies that simple fact.
▶ 0:11:25Second, HR6472 introduced by Representative Molen helps students from US territories like get instate tuition rates at public colleges and universities. Our American territories in the Pacific like Guam play a strategic role in protecting American interests in the particularly against Chinese Communist Party actions.
▶ 0:11:54Due to economic constraints and geographic isolation, many residents of US territories have limited opportunities to pursue post-secary education, harming the workforce. This bill opens the door to advanced training and degrees that may not have otherwise been available.
▶ 0:12:14As more students receive post-secary more of those students can decide to return to the territories after graduation, bringing skills and networks back home to benefit their local communities and economies. Third and fourth, both bills focus on price transparency.
▶ 0:12:37College is one of the biggest financial decisions that a student and family will make, but college pricing remains the student financial clarity act introduced by representatives Brett Guthrie and Bob Ander, improved the college scorecard to provide more information about college costs and student outcomes for for prospective students. It also creates a universal net price calculator tool.
▶ 0:13:06so students can estimate their expected costs over the length of the program. HR6502, the College Financial Aid Clarity Act, introduced by Representative Lisa Mlan and Young Kim, ensures colleges cannot mislead uh students on financial aid offers.
▶ 0:13:26A 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office found that 91% of colleges failed to follow best practicing practices in their financial aid offers to students with some colleges deceptively portraying loans as grants that students would not have to repay.
▶ 0:13:47Although some colleges have since made improvements, this bill covers all institutions and gives students the clear information they need to make informed decisions. Some accuse Republicans of limiting access to higher education. That's not true. We want all students to have access to the post-secary path that's best for them and their families.
▶ 0:14:13Too many students face bureaucracy, hidden costs, and student debt for programs that don't deliver a return on These bills will take important steps to fix that. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting them. And with that, I yield to the ranking member for his opening statement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:14:38Today we're here to mark up four education bills intended to increase transparency and access to higher education. First bill under consideration is the Homeschool Graduation Recognition Act, which essentially restates and clarifies the current law allowing homeschool students to be eligible for federal student aid. Under federal law, homeschool students are eligible for federal student student aid.
▶ 0:15:03The Higher Education Act specifically allows students who complete a homeschool program recognized under their state's law to qualify for title 4 aid, including PEL grants and federal student loans. Each state sets its own requirements for the education of homeschool students. There's a wide variance in what the states require with some states like Texas not even requiring any courses in science or history.
▶ 0:15:30But HA confirms that homeschoolers must meet eligibility requirements, whatever they are in their state, to receive federal aid if educated according to those state rules, but continues to allow schools to set their own admission standards for students, including those educated at home.
▶ 0:15:49Again, it's my understanding the bill does not make any substantive changes to the present law, but further restates and [snorts] clarifies what is already required by the Higher Education Act. I'll have an amendment that further clarifies the bill's provisions specifically to point out that they apply to the federal student aid eligibility under title 4 and HA. And that addition, I'll vote in favor of the bill.
▶ 0:16:16Next bill we'll consider amends the higher education act to require public colleges and universities to provide instate tuition for certain [snorts] residents of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands. I support the initiative in principle, but we cannot ignore that states and public colleges set their own tuition rates based [snorts] on state budgets and priorities.
▶ 0:16:42Democrats will propose an amendment to help offset these costs by providing federal funding similar to the District of Columbia tuition assistance grant, the DC TAG program, which supports DC residents with up to $10,000 per year for a total of $50,000 to pay the difference between the higher outofstate tuition and the lower instate tuition at public universities, which [snorts] is necessary because Washington DC does not have an adequate number of public universities.
▶ 0:17:13It is the federal government's responsibility to shoulder the cost of this mandate rather than shift that mandate and cost to other states who are already facing uh strain financial strain. Urge my colleagues to support the amendment and the bill.
▶ 0:17:32The um next we will consider the student financial clarity act HR6498 which amends the higher education act to expand the data requirements of the college scoreboard and establish a universal net price calculator. And while transparency is vital, we need to acknowledge that the Trump administration is actively dismantling the Department of Education.
▶ 0:17:57As of now, the Institute of Education Sciences, which used to have hundreds of um almost 200 employees, now only has a handful. We can How can they possibly handle the workload from this bill, which would require them to manage data from thousands of colleges and universities on top [snorts] of their current In light of this, I'll propose an amendment to ensure that we will provide adequate resources to the department, including funding for IIEES,
▶ 0:18:28the Office of Federal Student Aid, and the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development to [snorts] actually implement these changes. So, we'll we'll be offering amendments that require education department to do the work at the department and not farm it out to other agencies, mandating that the universal net price calculator show how the student aid cuts from the big ugly bill will actually impact students and codifying recent gainful
▶ 0:18:58employment and financial value transparency regulations. These amendments are the very least we could do to improve the legislation. And finally, HR6502, the College Financial Aid Clarity Act, requires institutions to provide information on students financial aid officers off offers including estimated costs, grants, scholarships, and loan information.
▶ 0:19:23Financial aid offers are documents provided by colleges and universities to students that detail the amount and types of aid the school is offering. Financial aid off offers essentially financial aid offers are essential for helping students and families understand the cost of college and make better informed decisions. It's worth noting that under the current federal law, colleges and universities are required to disclose information to students and families on the cost of attending the institution.
▶ 0:19:53And that should that has to include tuition fees, books, supplies, room and board, transportation costs, and any additional costs of the program that a student is enrolled in. And while this bill attempts to improve transparency, its focus on averages rather than individual cost disclosures would negatively impact the students ability to compare aid officers across institutions.
▶ 0:20:17The shift towards institutional level rep reporting could make it harder for families to make informed decisions about the true cost of college as institutions will need to provide more information which would actually cause more confusion. Though acknowledge though I acknowledge my colleagues efforts on the other side of the aisle, this bill still needs further improvements to ensure that students and families can easily compare college costs and aid information. to to improve the proposal.
▶ 0:20:46Uh, Democrats are prepared to offer amendments to require the Department of Education to perform the work the bill authorizes rather than forming it out to other agencies to promote greater standardization and simpler forms for students to make real applesto apples aid offer comparisons. Um, and hopefully those amendments will be adopted.
▶ 0:21:09And because before I close, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that while I recognize the good intent behind these bills, I'm [snorts] disappointed that they're being considered after the Republicans have already passed that big ugly bill earlier this year. That bill made college even more unaffordable and unattainable for millions of Americans. It eliminated graduate uh plus loans, caps parent plus loans, and limits access to PEL grants.
▶ 0:21:36also pushes requires students to consider predatory private loan market with higher interest rates and fewer protections. It's difficult to reconcile that harmful reg legislation with today's efforts. Now, uh we are all aware of the polls that show that many believe that college is not worth the cost. Uh the solution should not be to make um to to just ignore the fact.
▶ 0:22:05We should make college more affordable rather than have students cut their education short because they can't afford the cost. Bills that explain the cost do not reduce the cost any more than a as a farmer would say weighing the pig does not make the pig fatter. With that, Mr. Mr. Chairman, I yield
▶ 0:22:31I thank the gentleman. Without objection, all members who wish to insert written opening statements into the record may do so by submitting them to the committee clerk electronically by the end of the day Pursuant to the House rules, a copy of the text to be marked up was made available to members and the public at least 24 hours in advance.
▶ 0:22:57The bills being marked up today shall be open to amendment at any point and the chair will allow members to offer amendments in a manner not prohibited by the House committee rules. Without objection, members who have more than one amendment to the bills and wish to offer their amendments on block may do so. The committee will now proceed to consideration of the bill HR6392 for amendment.
▶ 0:23:27The bill was circulated in advance and printed copies are Without objection, uh the first reading of the bill is dispensed with. The clerk will designate uh the bill. HR 6392, a bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to recognize students who have completed secondary school education in a homeschool setting as high school graduates and for other purposes.
▶ 0:23:53Again, without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with. Without objection, the bill will be considered as read and open for amendment at any point, and any amendment offered shall be considered as read. Does anyone seek to be recognized? Representative Harris, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
▶ 0:24:13Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the
▶ 0:24:15The clerk shall designate the amendment in the nature of a substitute?
▶ 0:24:19Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 6392 offered by Mr. Harris of North Carolina, identifier ANS_HR6392.
▶ 0:24:29Without objection, the amendment shall be considered an original text for purposes of further amendment. Uh the amendment in the nature of a substitute has already been distributed. I now recognize Mr. Harris for five minutes to explain the amendment in the nature of a Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:24:46I offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute for my legislation, the homeschool graduation recognition act, which really makes technical changes to my bill to ensure homeschool students diplomas are fairly recognized by all colleges. Mr. Mr. Chairman, no student should ever face discrimination during the college admissions process simply because they were homeschooled.
▶ 0:25:10Across this nation, 3 million homeschooled students are educated by devoted parents who pour their hearts, time, and resources into their children's future. In my home state of North Carolina alone, there we have 165,000 homeschoolers. students who work hard, excel academically, and deserve to compete on a level playing field. And yet, some colleges still treat these young men and women as secondclass applicants.
▶ 0:25:36Instead of accepting the homeschool diplomas that comply with state law, they demand excessive documentation. They impose unnecessary testing. They may even force legally graduated homeschoolers to take the GED as if their education counted for less simply because it took it took place at the kitchen table instead of inside a government building. This discrimination is wrong. It contradicts congressional intent and it must end.
▶ 0:26:07The Homeschool Graduation Recognition Act brings clarity to the law to ensure that lawful homeschool graduates are recognized as legitimate high school graduates. The Higher Education Act clearly states that homeschool graduates aren't eligible for federal student aid.
▶ 0:26:23But an outdated heading in law titled quote students who are not high school graduates end quote has misled some compliance officers into treating homeschool graduates as if they fall into that category when in fact they do not. According to the homeschool legal defense association, over a dozen colleges impose barriers on homeschooled applicants.
▶ 0:26:46One community college in Ohio demanded that a homeschool student verify his diploma by gathering stateisssued documents that the state wasn't even required to keep under its homeschool laws. A year later, that student's own mother, applying decades after her graduation, was likewise told to go hunt down paperwork that didn't exist rather than accept her diploma at face value.
▶ 0:27:12Now, I realize this may seem like a small problem to fix, but it represents a real burden for the students and families impacted by it. I urge my colleagues to support the 3 million homeschool students across this nation by voting in favor of the amendment and the underlying bill. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to submit into the record a letter of support for this legislation from the whole school homechool legal defense association. And with that I yield back.
▶ 0:27:42With without objection it will be submitted. Hearing none it is.
▶ 0:27:47Thank you sir. I yield back.
▶ 0:27:49Are there any members who wish to be recognized for further discussion on the amendment and the nature of a Represent Mcbath you wish to be
▶ 0:28:02Thank you Mr. Chair. I wish to speak in favor of the amendment and the nature of the substance.
▶ 0:28:08You're recognized.
▶ 0:28:09Thank you. I wanted to speak in support of the amendment in the nature of a substitute substitute and share my personal experience with homeschool uh and as a homeschool educator myself. Believe it or not, for five years I was a single mother working as a flight attendant on the weekends while I homeschooled my son Jordan during the week. It was hard. Yes, it was. But there were parts of it that I just wouldn't trade for anything in the world.
▶ 0:28:35Because that experience allowed me to spend more time with Jordan before he was taken from me in a racially motivated shooting. Time that I will now and forever deeply cherish. It was not a choice that I took lightly. I It was one that basically turned our lives upside down. I had to change my entire work schedule to be there for him. and Jordan had to adjust to school at home instead of being with his classmates.
▶ 0:29:05I did that because the schools where we lived were so starved of resources, so starved of support from this Congress and from our state that I could simply not send him there. This isn't a choice that any parent should ever have to make. It isn't a choice that any parent should have to make in the greatest country on earth. But that was the reality that forced me, that was forced upon me and my son. I had to make that decision.
▶ 0:29:34That is the reality that is forced upon millions of Americans every single day. But I promised myself that if I ever could, I would do everything that I could to ensure that every school has the support, the resources that it needs to ensure that every child is truly never ever left behind. There are so many parents don't that don't have the time nor the resources to homeschool their son or their children like I did.
▶ 0:30:04That really isn't how life works for everyone. For them, their public school is their child's only option. And we should not be making their problems worse with voucher schemes and grant cancellations that take resources away from our public schools. My Republican colleagues, whether they intend to or not, are creating a two-tiered education system.
▶ 0:30:27One for those that are born in certain zip codes and one for the wealthy, for those lucky enough to win a charter lottery and another for the rest of us. That is not what public education should be. And it doesn't have to be this way. This is a choice that we can make. These are problems and schools that we can actually fix. There are parents that choose to homeschool, but there are others, like myself, that had to homeschool.
▶ 0:30:56I encourage my Republican colleagues to take a very hard look at the impact that these policies are really having on everyday people and difficult choices that our parents are being forced to make. The solution is not to give up on our public school system and these families. And I yield.
▶ 0:31:16I thank the gentle lady. Are there any others who wish to speak on this amendment? Nature of a substitute. Miss you wish to be recognized.
▶ 0:31:27You're recognized for five minutes.
▶ 0:31:28Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to Congress Congressman Mark Harris for sponsoring this important bill. Years ago, I was teaching in public school, and I kind of had an epiphany that education could be so much better if we use different curriculum. So at that point I decided to home educate my seven children. Now my children are grown and most of them are being homeed educated today.
▶ 0:31:58So protecting school choice was one of the main reasons why I entered politics in the first place. The purpose of the homeschool graduation recognition act is simply to give students the same opportunities as graduates of public or private schools. I did have one daughter who excelled in education.
▶ 0:32:20She got a very high score on her ACT, much higher than the average score of the applicants that entered this school. But yet, they wanted to require her to go take the GED. Um, I was able to push back and get her in there and she ended up graduating with the very highest honor that the school gave in her field of study.
▶ 0:32:44Today, homeschooling has nearly tripled, especially during COVID, as parents saw what was being taught to their children. Homeschooled children routinely score 15 to 25% higher than public school students on standardized testing. Yet, they are discriminated against when it comes to graduation and college admissions.
▶ 0:33:06Despite these facts, states like Illinois have launched a crusade against homeschooling, attempting to stop its rise with burdensome regulations and government intrusion into parental rights. Homeschooled students work just as hard to get their diploma, and they deserve the same opportunity to pursue a college degree. Thank you again to Congressman Harris for your leadership, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on the Homeschool Graduation Act. and I yield
▶ 0:33:36Thank the gentle lady. I now recognize the gentleman, the ranking member from Virginia, Mr. Scott.
▶ 0:33:41Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. [clears throat] Chairman, I intend to be supportive of HR6392, the Homeschool Graduation Recognition Act, which adds clarity to the Higher Education Act with regards to homeschool students access to federal student aid programs.
▶ 0:33:57Under federal under federal law, when a homeschooled student has completed secondary education in a home setting that is treated as a homeschool or private school under state law, that student is entitled to access to federal student aid programs under title 4, the higher education act. Moreover, the free application for federal student aid, the FAFSA form, which is used by millions of students to access federal student aid, is inclusive of homeschoolers.
▶ 0:34:26Likewise, the federal student aid handbook, a guide for college financial administrators and counselors, is is unequivocally clear that homeschool students are eligible for title four funds when they have completed homeschooling at the secondary level as defined by state law.
▶ 0:34:42Committee Democrats are supportive of approving the text of the law to avoid any unintentional ambiguity or misunderstanding that might occur as a result of the drafting of the [snorts] current federal law to ensure that homeschool students have access to financial aid for higher education.
▶ 0:34:58So, the Democrats plan to offer an amendment to the legislation to clarify that the bill's provisions apply to federal student aid programs under title four of the Higher Education Act, which is consistent with the provisions for homeschool students and current law. And it's my understanding the majority will be supportive of the clarification. Ensuring that all students, including those educated at home, have equitable access to higher education funding is a shared goal.
▶ 0:35:25For these reasons, I plan to support the amendment nature of a substitute with the amendment and I yield back.
▶ 0:35:32I thank the gentleman. I recognize the uh subcommittee chairman on early childhood elementary secondary education, Mr. Kylie from California.
▶ 0:35:43Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh I am very glad to co-sponsor the homeschool graduation uh recognition act. I have had uh the great uh privilege of getting to know many of the homeschool uh students and families uh in my area. I've uh spoken to their classes. I've judged their debate tournaments. Um and I have never ceased to be uh impressed with these young people as well as with uh the parents who pour their heart and soul into giving them uh an excellent education.
▶ 0:36:13Uh I've also fought alongside these families when they have been uh unfairly targeted uh by misguided politicians uh in Sacramento. Um I we have three million homeschool students in this country. Uh they span uh all backgrounds uh are all throughout the country and uh families choose to homeschool for a diversity of reasons.
▶ 0:36:36Now I am a very strong believer in our public education system and I believe we actually have a long way to go to improve the quality of public education in all parts of this country. Uh but the right to homeschool is a fundamental right that must always exist and be protected and it has been recognizes right recognized as part of the fundamental right of parents to direct the education uh of their children.
▶ 0:37:01And that also means we must firmly have in place a principle of non-discrimination when it comes to how uh homeschool students are treated in other parts of our education system uh and in our broader society.
▶ 0:37:16We must also, by the way, tread carefully uh whenever we're making law with respect to homeschooling because uh largely the uh the the purpose of it is to enable uh parents and families to uh to opt out of uh of the regulations that otherwise exist within the education system.
▶ 0:37:34But this very targeted bill is important for upholding this principle of non-discrimination because right now as part of the higher education act uh I've I was actually somewhat startled by the way that it's uh the exception uh in this act is worded where it describes it as students who are not high school graduates. That's the umbrella term that's used uh for uh for homeschoolers. Well, no, homeschool students are high school graduates and uh so that was always an inaccurate title.
▶ 0:38:03So this bill uh by my colleague from North Carolina uh appropriately uh changes the wording to reflect what this is. Students who are in nontraditional settings, their settings, they are high school graduates and this change assures that universities uh will treat them appropriately because we have seen examples of how they make students jump through all kinds of hoops in order to prove that they actually uh are a high school graduate and this has put up barriers uh to them accessing student aid. So I think this is uh is a great bill.
▶ 0:38:32It's a needed bill. It will affirm the value of homeschooling in this country while protecting the rights of homeschool families. I yield back. I thank the gentleman. I now recognize myself for five minutes of comments on on this legislation. Something that I don't necessarily as chairman do all that often uh in speaking on the bill, but this one of course is very personal to me.
▶ 0:38:57Um my wife and I homeed educated our three children for 13 years of their educational experience. Uh yes we were capable as a member of the state legislature also a member of the house education committee and the state legislature as well to make decisions for our family that maybe some others would have more difficulty in making.
▶ 0:39:20But nonetheless, it was a decision made as a parent in our case in a good public school system that had come under the challenge of reduced funding and access to significant programs of education in our local public school or rural school district. Feeling that a point that we could not suffer our children missing out on educational opportunities that were broad.
▶ 0:39:47We felt there was another choice and that was home education for us done one year at a time sometimes one semester at a time. Uh evaluating how it was going in our lives as well as with our children. I'm happy to say that it worked. I'm happy to say that our children all have gone on and are working.
▶ 0:40:09Happy to say my oldest son became a noted journalist with a major city newspaper ultimately nominated for a Puliter Prize coming in runner up for Another our daughter who was not making it in a normal educational process. The motivation wasn't there.
▶ 0:40:29We ultimately added to that the local vocational technical education public school training program for her that revolutionized her life and ultimately went into healthc care fields excelled and is and ultimately went to into a master's education in the higher education program. We saw the impact but I was raised in a family of home of of public school educators including my mother. I was public school educated.
▶ 0:40:59It is absolutely important for me to say to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle that I support public education in being the best system that it possibly can be for our our students who will choose for whatever reason to be in public schools. But there also ought to be opportunities of choice. And I would say the traditional system of education is the home education. It begins in the home. It begins with a parent.
▶ 0:41:26I allowed the supplementing of education to other entities for periods of time in my children's life, both public, private, and home education. That was my responsibility as a parent.
▶ 0:41:40And so I see this legislation substantiating that, not taking away choices across the spectrum, and certainly not taking away our responsibility of promoting the value of having schools and local districts in states that we represent be the best they possibly could be be.
▶ 0:42:00whether public, whether public charter, whether private, whether prochial, whether homeschool or any other type, that it meets the needs of a developing citizenry that is highly educated and capable of carrying on the functions of society in a productive way. So, I thank the gentleman from uh North Carolina for putting this bill before us, and I look forward to uh passing it to the floor of the House yet today. and I yield back.
▶ 0:42:32Are there any other members?
▶ 0:42:33Are there any other members who wish to be recognized? There being no
▶ 0:42:39uh I recognize the the gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Rder. Do you wish to be
▶ 0:42:46Yes, I do. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um yeah, I would echo the chairman's experience. My wife Allison and I home home educated our six children at one time or another. Yes, we took it one year at a time or semester at a time or I guess as Alcoholics Anonymous would say, one day at a time. Um, and over the course of our children's education, they attended public school, private school, and homeschool.
▶ 0:43:08We basically educated all of our uh all of our children K through K through eight and then chose to send uh our children to a private religious school um uh 9 through grades 9 to through 12. But I think I strongly support this bill.
▶ 0:43:25I find it especially uh inappropriate that um that home homeed educated children who by all accounts outperform uh their um their public school and even some of their private school counterparts by large margins that they be labeled not having graduated from high school. So I strongly support Representative Harris's bill and I will be voting for it.
▶ 0:43:50The gentleman yields. Are there any other members who wish to speak on the amendment and nature of a substitute? Seeing none, uh there being no further discussion on the amendment and nature of a substitute, the committee will move to consideration of amendments. Are there any members who would like to offer amendments? I recognize the ranking member, the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Scott.
▶ 0:44:12Yes, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. HR 63 identifier HR 6392MU D AMD_01. The clerk will report the amendment.
▶ 0:44:25Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 6392 offered by Mr. Scott of Virginia identifier AMD_01.
▶ 0:44:36Mr. Mr.
▶ 0:44:38Mr. Do you wish to offer a point of
▶ 0:44:42Reserve a point. Reserve a point of
▶ 0:44:44Mr. Chairman, may I reserve a point of
▶ 0:44:47A point of order is reserved. I now recognize the gentleman from Virginia, the ranking member, Mr. Scott, for five minutes to in support of his amendment.
▶ 0:44:55Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This amendment makes clear that the bills provisions apply to federal student aid programs under title four of the higher education act. It's consistent with existing provisions for homeschool students and current law.
▶ 0:45:09with my amendment HR6392, the homeschool graduation recognition act adds clarity to the higher education act with regards to homeschool students access to federal student aid programs without unnecessarily becoming entangled with the autonomy and academic freedom of colleges and universities. It's my understanding the majority is supportive of the modification and I urge adoption of the amendment and then the bill and I yield back. I I thank the gentleman.
▶ 0:45:38Does the gentleman from Missouri wish to withdraw his point of order?
▶ 0:45:48I withdraw my point of order.
▶ 0:45:51The reservation is withdrawn. Does anyone else seek recognition on the amendment? Mr. Harris, do you wish to speak on the amendment?
▶ 0:46:00Yes, Mr. Chairman. And uh I would just say if this amendment will make my Democrat colleagues comfortable voting for the underlying bill, I'm happy to support it. Again, in this bill, the main goal is to send a message that homeschoolers who graduate in accordance with state law are in fact graduates. This will eliminate any implication in existing law that homeschool graduates have not legally graduated. The bill still accomplishes both those goals under this amendment.
▶ 0:46:28My Democrat colleagues are correct that the underlying bill makes changes to the existing code on federal financial aid and I'm fine with an amendment that clarifies that fact. I'm prepared to support this amendment in the hopes we can pass the underlying bill with a large resounding majority. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. I thank the gentleman. Is there further debate on the amendment?
▶ 0:46:55If not, the question is on the amendment by the gentleman from Virginia, the ranking member, Mr. Scott. All in favor say I. I. All oppose, no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment is agreed to. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute HR 6392?
▶ 0:47:34There being no amendments, uh the question now occurs on the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 6392. All in favor say I. I. All oppose, no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment in the nature of a substitute is agreed to. We'll now move to the to consider the next bill.
▶ 0:48:16The committee will now proceed to consideration of the bill HR6472 for amendment. The bill was circulated in advance and printed copies are available. Will the clerk designate the bill? a bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for instate tuition rates for certain residents of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marana Islands, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands, and for other
▶ 0:48:46Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with. Without objection, the bill will be considered as read and open for amendment at any point, and any amendment offered shall be considered as read. Does anyone seek to be recognized? Representative Molen, for what purpose do you seek
▶ 0:49:03Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk amendment ans tro01.
▶ 0:49:08Uh, the clerk shall designate the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 0:49:12Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6472 offered by Mr. Moan of Guam identifier
▶ 0:49:23Without objection, the amendment shall be considered original text for purposes of further amendment. The amendment in the nature of a substitute has already been distributed. I now recognize Mr. Moland for five minutes to explain the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 0:49:38Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I ordered support of my amendment in the n uh nature of a substitute to HR 6472. Now, many residents of the US territories face barriers in accessing higher education, especially for programs that are not available in their home islands due to small economics and geographic In the territories of Guam, the northern Marianas, American Samoa, and US Virgin Islands, only Guam and the US Virgin Islands
▶ 0:50:09have four-year universities. And even then, despite their great success and impacts, many programs remain out of reach. None of our territories have law schools or medical schools. There are only limited graduate programs, and many STEM programs are yet to be This stark reality leaves our children with an impossible choice.
▶ 0:50:37move to one of the 50 states to DC to attain an incredible expensive degree or abandon their dreams. For those that do choose to move to the states to pursue higher education, the sheer cost of that education can pressure them to remain in the states rather than returning home.
▶ 0:51:00The territorial students access to higher education acts makes a significant step in choosing these education and closing these educational gaps by lowering the cost of tuition for residents of Guam, the northern Marianas, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands to no greater than instate tuition rates at public colleges and universities.
▶ 0:51:26Doing so provides a viable path to higher education for our students, helping close the educational gap and facilitating paths to return home. As more of our students can pursue their dreams, whether it be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, or another profession, they can return home to benefit their local communities.
▶ 0:51:52In turn, this helps strengthen our economies, bridge skill gaps, and improves the lives of our people. Many examples of this exist. The Honorable Peter C. Saguenza Jr., our first Chief Justice of the Guam Supreme Court, Dr. Walter Chris Paris, a doctor whose work touched the lives of many, and the first president of the University of Guam, Dr.
▶ 0:52:21and many more educational, healthc care, community, and island leaders throughout our history. The territories are also on the front line or the forefront of national security and critical shortages in our education and workforce sectors in our islands can have farreaching implications for the rest of the nation.
▶ 0:52:44For Guam, we are the westernmost part of the homeland, host strategic bases and assets, and are a key player in the Second Island chain. In fact, 25% of our land is owned by the Department of Defense, and over 4,000 Marines are in route from Okinawa. Supporting this measure supports national security.
▶ 0:53:09Removing barriers to higher education will lead to enhanced strategic res resilience by enabling workforce development, reducing dependency on foreign workers in critical roles and improving And likewise, we will see improvement in military readiness by enhancing professional expertise in supporting and support roles, improving healthc care capacity, and enhancing legal and administrative support.
▶ 0:53:39This bill is supported by Miss Kim Hines, Miss Radaw Wagon, Miss Plaski, and Mr. Hernandez, and has the support of the Guam Youth Congress. Many amendments provide my amendments provides the bill's short title and also clarifies that residents are not charged excessive fees. I urge my colleagues to join the Americans who call the territories their home and support this amendment and the underlying bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 0:54:10I thank the gentleman. Are there any members who wish to be recognized for further discussion on the amendment and the nature of the substitute?
▶ 0:54:20I recognize gentlemen, the ranking member from Virginia, Mr. Scott.
▶ 0:54:24Thank Thank you, M. Mr. Chairman. This bill would require public colleges from uh student that public colleges charge students from Guam, the American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands instate tuition rates. And while there are several highquality colleges in these territories, many students in the territories do not have much choice in which college they can attend because too often there's only one option.
▶ 0:54:52By ensuring that these students have the benefit of instate tuition, Congress can make it easier and more affordable for students who want to go to college in the contiguous 48 states. However, as drafted, HR6398 creates an unfunded mandate for states to implement this policy which undermines state sovereignty. States and state colleges are responsible for setting tuition policies for public colleges.
▶ 0:55:18And these tuition policies are designed based on the context and constraints of their state budgets. At a time when congressional Republicans are already making it harder for states to balance their budgets due to the big ugly laws sweeping education and healthc care cuts, this approach is not ideal. But we know there's another way.
▶ 0:55:38During the 117th Congress, this committee reported out a policy that provided federal financial assistance for students from these same territories to help offset additional costs of out of state tuition at public colleges. Although this provision was not ultimately included in the final version of the legislation, the inflation reduction act, this is the approach Congress should be taking to tackle this important issue.
▶ 0:56:04And while I appreciate the fact that Republicans are trying to make U college more affordable to these students across these territories, I'd like to remind them that just a few months ago, uh the Republicans on their own, without a rep Democratic vote, voted to make it harder for the same students to afford college by cutting PEL grants, reducing loan limits, and eliminating affordable repayment plans in that big ugly law.
▶ 0:56:33To that end, while I plan to support today's markup, I expect my Republican colleagues to place this responsibility where it belongs on the federal government, not on the states or on our public institutions before the legislation goes to the floor. And so I'll be supporting the uh amendment offered by the gentle lady from North Carolina to do exactly that. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 0:56:58I thank the gentleman. Are there any other members who wish to speak? on the amendment and nature of a
▶ 0:57:15for what purposes, the gentle lady from North Carolina wish to be recognized?
▶ 0:57:19I have an amendment.
▶ 0:57:22That will come shortly.
▶ 0:57:24Thank you, sir. There being no further discussion on the amendment and the nature of a substitute, the committee will move to consideration of amendments, um I now recognize the gentle lady.
▶ 0:57:38Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order.
▶ 0:57:43Let's let's wait for the amendment. Thank you. Um I now recognize gentle lady from North Carolina for for purposes of introducing an amendment.
▶ 0:57:53Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk adam N C558.
▶ 0:58:00Will the clerk designate the amendment?
▶ 0:58:03Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 6472 offered by Miss Adams of North Carolina identifier
▶ 0:58:15Does the uh gentleman from Missouri wish
▶ 0:58:18Yes, Mr. Chairman. Um I reserve a point of order. A point of order is reserved. I now recognize the gentle lady from North Carolina.
▶ 0:58:27Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, while I appreciate my Republican colleagues interest in wanting to ensure affordable and accessible public higher education for residents of certain US territories, requiring states to to honor instate tuition prices for non-resident students, infringes upon states autonomy and absolves the federal government of of its responsibilities. Each state has the jurisdiction to decide where and to whom their respective funding goes to.
▶ 0:58:56Despite some declines in state investment in higher education over the decades, states uh provide most of the funding for public higher education and have significant say in how college revenues should be spent.
▶ 0:59:12Given the outsized role of states in public higher education, setting and mandating instate tuition prices are outside of the federal government's jurisdiction and such policies are an inappropriate infringement on state government discretion. If Congress wants to mandate instate tuition for residents of certain US territories, Congress needs to provide federal funding for it.
▶ 0:59:37My amendment would require the federal government to to annually reimburse public institutions of higher education for any revenue lost as a result of requiring instate tuition for eligible students under this act. This amendment will ensure that these students have access to affordable higher education without infringing on state sovereignty. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment. Uh Mr. Chairman, I yield
▶ 1:00:07Thank you, gentle lady. Does the gentleman from Missouri insist on a point of order?
▶ 1:00:11U Mr. Chairman, I reserve my I withdraw my point of order.
▶ 1:00:15The reservation is withdrawn. I thank the gentleman. Does anyone else seek recognition on the amendment? Representative McBth, do you wish
▶ 1:00:26Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, thank you so much. I wish to speak in favor of the proposed amendment to the amendment and the nature of the substitute.
▶ 1:00:33You are recognized. Thank you and thank you to Mr. Mouland for leading this really, really important bill. Although many Americans may never have been there before, places like the Virgin Islands, the Northern Marana Islands, Guam, and Samoa are incred incredibly important parts of our country and of our history.
▶ 1:00:54The jungles and the beaches of Guam, the waters that surround the northern Marana Islands, and so many others are the final resting place for thousands of American soldiers, sailors, marines, and our Chammoral allies who died fighting in the Second World War. People just like you and me who gave their lives to defend democracy, to defend their homes, and to defend this country.
▶ 1:01:20These places and those who call them home, they're important to us and they should be treated with the respect and the dignity that they deserve. Education is a window to a better, more fulfilling life. And there is no legitimate reason why American citizens and nationals living in the farthest reaches of our country should be limited or denied the same opportunities for success than those living in the states have access to.
▶ 1:01:51Your zip code, the amount of wealth that you were born into, what island you were born on. None of these things should be the difference between an American's ability to better themselves through education. Factors that are completely outside someone's control should not make it more difficult to acquire the skills necessary to provide a decent life for themselves and for their families.
▶ 1:02:19While I am supportive of the underlying bill, Congress must find a way to ensure that students in the territories have access to lower tuition rates without putting that responsibility solely on the school or on the states themselves to pick up the costs. Federal territories are exactly that. They are federal entities.
▶ 1:02:45The federal government is clearly the more appropriate payer here as it is clearly has more juris jurisdiction over the federal territories than any individual state does. This amendment would do just that and I encourage my colleague colleagues to vote in favor and I yield.
▶ 1:03:05I thank the gentle lady. Does anyone else seek recognition on the amendment? Uh for what purpose does gentleman from Guan seek recognition?
▶ 1:03:15Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm opposed to this amendment. Uh this amendment will provide a mandatory cost to the bill which is not offset. Uh article one section 8 of the constitution clearly gives Congress the authority to legislate on this matter.
▶ 1:03:32In the past, instate tuition benefits have been given to other classes, including citizens of the freely associated states, veterans in uh veterans and foreign service officers. This is about giving residents of smaller territories the opportunities to obtain degrees otherwise unavailable to them and have a viable financial path to return home.
▶ 1:04:02this is going to be a smaller population than other times we have provided this benefit. So, I do not think we need to change how we address this issue here. I thank you and I yield back.
▶ 1:04:17I thank the gentleman. Uh, does anyone else seek recognition on the amendment? Gentleman from Virginia. For what purpose do you seek recognition? strike the last word.
▶ 1:04:30You're recognized.
▶ 1:04:33Mr. Speaker, um I do want to thank the gentleman from Guam for introducing this important bill. It's important to note citizens of the 50 states enjoy this benefit having instate tuition, but citizens of our territories do not.
▶ 1:04:56We fixed it to a small extent with um Washington DC by having a DC uh tag grant for those that go out of state and have to pay out of state tuition. They get assistance, but this would make sure that they get the full value of the um instate tuition that is not available to them in their states. And we'd have to note that these are citizens. They're born in our territories. They're United States citizens. And Dr.
▶ 1:05:24Adams amendment would ensure that students will have access to affordable education and still respecting the autonomy and budgets of states and public colleges when they set their tuition. So I urge my colleagues to support the legislation and yield
▶ 1:05:41I thank the gentlemen. Are there any others who wish to speak on the If not, the question is on the amendment by the gentleman from Guam or by the gentle lady from North Carolina. all in favor say I.
▶ 1:06:04All oppose, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nose have it and the amendment is not agreed
▶ 1:06:15Mr. Chair, I'd like a a recorded vote.
▶ 1:06:17A roll call vote is ordered pursuant to the chair's previous announcement. This vote will be postponed. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of the substitute HR6472?
▶ 1:06:46So we just move to the next bill to say
▶ 1:06:52we'll not now move to consider the next The committee will now proceed to consideration of the bill HR6498 for amendment. The bill was circulated in advance and printed copies are Will the clerk designate the bill?
▶ 1:07:16a bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase transparency in college tuition for consumers and for other purposes.
▶ 1:07:24Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with. Without objection, the bill will be considered as read and open for amendment at any point and any amendment offered shall be considered as read. Does anyone seek to be recognized? Representative Ander, for what purpose do you seek to be recognized?
▶ 1:07:42Mr. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Amendment uh amens
▶ 1:07:49The clerk shall designate the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 1:07:53Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6498 offered by Mr. Ander of Missouri, identifier ANS_NP_01.
▶ 1:08:02Without objection, the amendment shall be considered an original text for purposes of further amendment. The amendment in the nature of a substitute has already been distributed. I now recognize Mr. Ander for five minutes to explain the amendment in the nature of a
▶ 1:08:17Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Post secondary education is a competitive market with students and families looking to exchange time and money for a credential worth that investment. The more information students have, the better decisions they can make. Financial transparency has a long history in this Congress.
▶ 1:08:36An economic study on the auto auto industry in the 1950s showed that a lack of information created uncertainty about the quality of the market, especially in the used car market. Congress took action on car sales when the Automotive Information Disclosure Act of 1958 was passed, creating what is now known as the Mon Monrroni sticker.
▶ 1:08:59This tag includes consumer information like the manufacturer's suggested re retail price, accessories, gas mileage, safety, rating, delivery fees, and more. A college degree, of course, is a more important and much bigger investment than a used car. So, why do we expect students to make such a large decision with relatively little information about costs and outcomes? Is it no wonder that that students and employers are losing faith in the value of college?
▶ 1:09:29I know the chairman mentioned some staggering statistics in his opening remarks, but I want to focus on the fact that 60% of college graduates say college isn't worth the cost. These people um these these people who have already spent time and money on post-secary education and even they are left dubious about the We are in a crisis of trust and that needs to change.
▶ 1:09:53That is why I'm excited to join uh Chairman Guthrie and Representative Trhan in the introduction of the bipartisan student financial clarity act. This bill codifies and improves the college scoreboard, a helpful consumer tool for students to compare data across both institutions and individualized programs of study.
▶ 1:10:14This data helps answer critical questions students want to know such as the cost of attendance, average amounts of debt, and average earnings of students at a college and in their major. It also would show costs of attendance beyond traditional required costs so that students can fully understand that costs apply to them and how uh what costs apply to them and how to plan for their financial future.
▶ 1:10:38This bill also reforms the universal net price calculator to utilize a more robust data set so so prospective students can better estimate the cost of After students enter the information and the FAFSA if applicable, the calculator estimates what they can expect to pay for each year of their major using past cost averages from similar students who graduated from that school.
▶ 1:11:05My amendment makes improvements to the underlying bill, including clarifying some of the privacy pro protections in the bill. This amendment also makes additional clarifications in some of the calculations and definitions in the bill. I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment and support the underlying bill. I yield I yield back.
▶ 1:11:27I thank the gentlemen. Are there any members who wish to be recognized for further discussion on the amendment and nature of a substitute? The gentleman from California, Mr. Tano, do you you wish to be recognized?
▶ 1:11:40Yes. Is uh is it an order for me to offer an amendment? Not yet.
▶ 1:11:43No, not yet.
▶ 1:11:44No, thank you, sir.
▶ 1:11:48Uh the gentle lady from uh from Oregon. Do you wish to be recognized?
▶ 1:11:53I do wish to be recognized, Mr. Mr. Chairman. Thank you. I move to strike the last word.
▶ 1:11:58You're recognized.
▶ 1:11:59Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I I want to start with a a comment about the the markup in general. Um because the chairman started this morning by saying that trust in higher education is continuing to wayne. Oftentimes that's because of cost and student loan debt. And as ranking member Scott said, the solution is to make higher education more affordable. Uh but I also want to note that I hear a lot of bashing of higher education, including statements like higher education is elitist and a waste of money.
▶ 1:12:27uh that is very counterproductive to our mission here and I encourage my colleagues to join us in talking about how to improve higher education rather than to decimate it. Um, so in in regard to House Resolution 6498, the amendment in nature of a substitute, I support transparency in many of the provisions in this bill and certainly its intent, but once again, we see the majority imposing additional responsibility on the Department of Education while providing no additional resources
▶ 1:12:57and slashing existing support. In fact, during the past several months, my Republican colleagues have supported the Trump administration's illegal and unconstitutional dismantling of the Department of Education. The chairman of this committee has actively called for the department to be abolished. So, it's baffling. The Secretary of Education is mentioned at least 15 times in this bill, and yet many of you want no department and no secretary of education.
▶ 1:13:22I do not understand what the approach is, but it feels like we're in the committee on cognitive dissonance. Also, this bill assigns responsibilities to the Institute for Education Sciences and the Office of Federal Student Aid, both of which have been devastated by mass layoffs under the Trump administration. The ability of these offices to complete their statutory responsibilities is already severely undermined, and in this bill, you want to give them more to do.
▶ 1:13:48With this bill, you want the transparency and accountability that come with federal education data infrastructure, but you are simultaneously demolish demolishing the agency that makes this possible. It doesn't take a college degree to know that this is not going to work. Investment in our system of higher education matters to students and families. The data that the Department of Education collects and disseminates matters to students and families. We all know this. Transparency is beneficial.
▶ 1:14:14But this bill doesn't do enough to collect and provide highquality comprehensive data that would be useful and it even includes information that could be misleading. And I will note again, as I have many times in this committee in the past, that I take issue with the defining the success of academic programs by measuring the salary of graduates. What if a student starts their own business? What if they join the Peaceore? What if they go into teaching or social work or another underpaid field? That does not mean that their degree does not have value.
▶ 1:14:42And there are countless examples of people who end up in careers different from their college major. How are those earnings considered? Also, the system established under this bill doesn't collect data from students who don't receive federal financial aid, meaning that approximately 30% of community college students and 20% of university students won't be represented. So, this is an incomplete framework that won't provide prospective students or their families with the full picture of a school's costs or quality.
▶ 1:15:10And finally, the bill does not include disclosure of things like housing costs, transportation, and child care, and the net price of attendance. Those costs play a significant role in whether students, especially non-traditional students, can access affordable college education. Students and families need accurate estimates of these costs so they can compare different schools and make the best decision.
▶ 1:15:32And of course, both the college scorecard and the net price calculator will have no value to students whatsoever if there is no department of education to update and maintain them. So considering bills like this while working to dismantle the Department of Education is nonsensical. Colleagues on both sides of the aisle know that Donald Trump can't shut down the Department of Education without Congress.
▶ 1:15:54I invite all of you to join those of us who want to improve rather than destroy the department to do otherwise will harm the students and families and bills that bills like this are trying to help. I yield back. Thank
▶ 1:16:07Gentle lady's time is expired. She yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from Virginia, the ranking member, Mr. Scott, to speak to the amendment and the nature of a
▶ 1:16:20Thank you, Mr. Speak. M Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, HR 6498 required the Department of Education to reform the college scoreboard and include additional information on the college costs and program level outcomes, and create a universal net price calculator. College scoreboard is already an important tool run by the department of education that helps students and families make informed choices on where to go to college.
▶ 1:16:46Schoolboard also allows uh students to compare colleges based on metrics such as graduation rates, cost of attendance, and post-graduate earnings. Similarly, the net price calculators help students and families make informed choices by estimating what students pay for the first year of school at a given college before they even have to submit a FAFSA [snorts] form. All colleges are currently required to publish their own net price calculator on their website.
▶ 1:17:15Now, HR HR6498 attempts to attempts to improve the two consumer information tools by requiring a more comprehensive net price, student loan, and outcomes data to be reported and compared across uh colleges.
▶ 1:17:31By embedding a universal net price calculator into the college scoreboard and collecting program level data, students should be more able more easily able to compare various programs across different colleges. But I'm concerned that this legislation does not take into consideration important regulatory decisions currently being determined as a result from the big ugly bill or the Trump administration's ongoing fight to dismantle the Department of Education.
▶ 1:18:01The committee is considering this bill as my Republican colleagues are continuing to enable the Trump administration to dismantle the Department of Education, including the Institute of Educational Sciences, the research, evaluation, and statistic arms arm of the department that is crucial in operating the college scoreboard. Since taking office, President Trump has instituted mass layoffs at IIEES and slashed more than a billion dollars in research uh contracts.
▶ 1:18:32IIE has yet bounced back from this devastation and the reduction in the staff of about 90%. Developing the universal net price calculator and making sweeping reforms to the college scoreboard reporting will require significant financial tech technological and staffing resources at IIEES. So I'm confused as to how you can allow the department to successfully implement these programs when there's nobody left at the institute.
▶ 1:19:01Beyond these fundamental concerns, I have several questions about how the bill would be implemented and whether the framework proposed is most appropriate. For example, the legislation only requires schools to report data on students who have received some form of finan federal financial aid. Unfortunately, this means students who do not receive federal financial aid, which are disproportionately community college students, will not be represented.
▶ 1:19:27And without data that counts all students, it's impossible to address inequities in college access, affordability, and college success. It is also unclear how the new reporting requirements will complement rather than and then complicate the data already required under the gainful employment and financial value transparency regulations.
▶ 1:19:50So although I appreciate what is trying to be done with the bill and the college scoreboard, I have concerns about how the bill was drafted and also reasonably have concerns about how the administration will faithfully implement the ch changes with nobody left at the department and Mr. Chairman I yield back.
▶ 1:20:11Thank the gentleman. Does the gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wilson's wish to speak on the amendment in the nature of a substitute?
▶ 1:20:22Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last
▶ 1:20:25You are recognized. [clears throat] As a former principal, a school district and a school board member, I understand the value of this bill because students deserve to know upfront what they are getting into, what a program really cost, how much they will likely borrow, and whether that degree leads to a decent paycheck. That's the basics.
▶ 1:20:56And it is long overdue for the black, brown, and lowincome students I represent. But let's not pretend that you can do financial clarity while you are busy gutting the very department that is supposed to collect the data, run the systems, and police the cheaters.
▶ 1:21:23The administrators and Republicans are dismantling the Department of Education, shuffling core education programs over to agencies that have zero experience serving students and slashing the staff who process aid and enforce [clears throat] the rules.
▶ 1:21:48And then they want credit for helping students understand college That is like taking a sledgehammer to the fire department and calling it a fire safety initiative. If we are serious about protecting students, we do not outsource education policy to the Department of Labor.
▶ 1:22:16star the education budget and pink slip the people who investigate abuse just to then pin a gold star on a website. If this bill is going to be passed, we need to fund staff and empower the Department of Education to make sure tools like the college scorecard and the net price
▶ 1:22:47calculators work for the students. Anything less is just another glossy promise with no backup. Mr. Chair, I yield back.
▶ 1:23:00I thank the gentle lady. Are there any other members who wish to be recognized for further discussion on the amendment in the nature of a substitute?
▶ 1:23:09There being no further discussion on the amendment in the nature of a substitute, the committee will move to consideration of amendments. Are there any members who would like to offer amendments? The gentleman from California, Mr. Kano, would you like to be recognized on
▶ 1:23:24Yes, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to offer an amendment to the underlying text. I have an amendment at the desk tono
▶ 1:23:36The clerk will designate the amendment.
▶ 1:23:38Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6498 offered by Mr. Takano of California identifier Tano_030.
▶ 1:23:49Does the uh gentleman from Missouri wish the point of order? Yes, Mr. Chairman. I wish to reserve a point of order.
▶ 1:23:57A point of order is reserved. I now recognize the gentleman from California for 5 minutes in support of his Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I agree that prospective students deserve to have all the information possible before making one of the most consequential consequential decisions of their lives. And transparent data reporting is key to making that choice.
▶ 1:24:24Congress also has a responsibility to ensure that students are protected from predatory career programs that leave them saddled with debt uh they are unable to repay. My amendment would codify the gainful employment and financial value transparency rules in statute.
▶ 1:24:41creating a framework to ensure that career programs do not leave students crushed by debt and can graduate from programs that have demonstrated positive impact on their The text of this amendment is pulled from my bill, the Protect Students Act, which I led with my colleague, Representative Alma Adams, and would establish common sense protections to prevent abuses and safeguards taxpayer The
▶ 1:25:11gainful employment and financial value transparency rules were put in place to protect our nation's students, especially veterans and low-income students, from lowwage, high debt certificate and career programs that seek to take advantage of their federal education benefits. These programs leave students with unmanageable debt, student debt level, stu student debt loads, and poverty level wages, which impacts the rest of their lives.
▶ 1:25:40This amendment would require that schools receiving Title 4 funds demonstrate the earnings of graduates in specific career programs exceed those of high school students in the state. In other words, ensuring that students are not left worse off than they started. It would also require that the debt to earnings ratio of graduates allow them to repay the debt they took on to attend their program.
▶ 1:26:06Finally, this amendment requires that institutions provide warning uh to students if their career training or graduate school programs fail to meet those standards. Now, these basic policies are expected to protect more than 700,000 students each year from enrolling in programs that fail to pay off and are projected to save taxpayers $14 billion over the next decade.
▶ 1:26:33Now, we know that these rules are a pillar of cost transparency. We know that they work. I urge the Department of Education to release the gainful employment and financial value transparency data they have already collected. And I urge this committee to move towards cementing these rules and law. If we are actually serious about protecting our nation's students and the American taxpayer, implementing these measures to their fullest extent must be a top priority.
▶ 1:27:03Hundreds of thousands of students are counting on us to take the final step of codifying these protections into law so that we can all move towards a more affordable and equitable future. Uh I yield back, Mr.
▶ 1:27:18I thank the gentleman. Does the gentleman from Missouri insist on the point of order?
▶ 1:27:22Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my point of
▶ 1:27:25The reservation is withdrawn.
▶ 1:27:28Does anyone else seek recognition on the amendment? Gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Ander, do you wish to be recognized on the amendment?
▶ 1:27:36Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:27:37Recognized for five minutes.
▶ 1:27:38Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate my colleagues points about transparency and accountability. However, I do wish to oppose this amendment. I do support the financial value transparency piece of this amendment. In fact, the student financial clarity act cites that existing regulations as part of data be used to help provide students with information about all colleges and programs.
▶ 1:28:05Unfortunately, my colleague talks about accountability but addresses only one sector of post secondary education. For decades, post-secary education has operated under a system of selective accountability with flawed metrics. The result has been skyrocketing costs, lackluster completion rates, and unaffordable debt for the 95% of students who don't attend a proprietary school.
▶ 1:28:31House Republicans have continually been the party of real accountability and outcomes for all students at all schools, regardless of tax status. the sector neutral accountability metrics in the working family tax cuts has made monumental reform towards rightsizing our federal loan program. Bad programs and institutions that offer them should be held accountable, but that is not the goal of this amendment.
▶ 1:28:58This amendment codifies regulations that arbitrarily target schools based on their tax status. Instead of picking winners and losers, we should encourage all colleges to focus on their students success. Thank you. and I yield back.
▶ 1:29:12I thank the gentleman. Does anyone else seek recognition on the amendment? I recognize the ranking member, gentleman from Virginia to speak on the amendment. Thank Thank [clears throat] you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the gainful employment and financial value transparency regulations established under the last administration are critical to protecting students from lowquality programs.
▶ 1:29:37I'm pleased to see that the bill sponsors seem to agree since they have required colleges to report data in accordance with these regulations in the underlying bill. This amendment would codify the present gainful employment and financial value transparency rules which will help make the reporting under the bill stronger.
▶ 1:29:55In addition to codifying the rules, I would hope that the department would release the data that is already collected on uh gainful employment and financial value so that we can consider that um that information. Urge my colleagues to support the amendment and yield back.
▶ 1:30:12I thank the gentleman. Is there further debate on the amendment? If not, the question is on the amendment by the gentleman from California, Mr. Tano. All in favor say I.
▶ 1:30:27All oppose, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it. And amen it. [panting]
▶ 1:30:37And the amendment is not agreed to.
▶ 1:30:42Roll call.
▶ 1:30:45A roll call vote is ordered. Pursuant to the chair's previous announcement, this vote will be postponed. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute For what purpose does the gentle lady from North Carolina, Miss Adams,
▶ 1:31:02Thank you, Mr. Chair.
▶ 1:31:04Thank you. I have a an amendment at the desk, ADAMC560.
▶ 1:31:08The clerk will report the amendment. Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6498 offered by Miss Adams of North Carolina identifier AdamNC_560.
▶ 1:31:22Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment is is simple. It requires the Department of Education to conduct annual consumer testing of the college score and the universal net price calculator. not with policy experts, not with think tanks, but with the students who rely on these tools the most, low-income students, first generation students. And let's be very honest about why this matters.
▶ 1:31:49Because the college score and and the net price calculator mean nothing. If students who need them most can't understand what they're looking at, can't compare their options, or or can't make sense of the costs that determine whether they can attend college at all. Low-income and first generation students already face the the steepest barriers.
▶ 1:32:14They're more likely to work while in school, more likely to enroll part-time, more likely to to to stop out when a bill increases by 50 or or or or $100. A and they are the students who depend on PEL grants on campus aid and federal support just to stay enrolled.
▶ 1:32:35And if these tools don't work for them, then the the transparency that we're talking about today is simply transparency in name only. Right now, the scorecard presents a tremendous amount of information. Graduation rates, earnings, borrowing outcomes, and cost data that that varies widely depending on on a student's circumstances. So, the universal net price calculator will require even more complexity.
▶ 1:33:04But but here's the question that we should all be asking. Have we tested any of this with the students who stand to lose the most when we when we get it wrong? Because I've met these students. I've taught them for more than 40 years. And I know how quickly they can be pushed out of higher education when the information that they receive is confusing, incomplete, or simply not designed for them.
▶ 1:33:34Annual consumer testing is not a burden. It is a safeguard. It ensures the tools are are are readable. It ensures the numbers are understandable. It ensures that the information reflects the lived experiences of students who are balancing work and family and school often all at once. And let me be clear, this amendment does not delay the bill. It does not impose new bureaucracy.
▶ 1:33:59It simply requires the department to to verify once a year that that these tools work for the students that they are intended to serve. And if the majority is committed to transparency, then we should also be committed to useful transparency because a tool that confuses low-income students, a tool that that overwhelms first generation students, a tool that shows averages instead of realities. I is not transparency.
▶ 1:34:28It's it it's just noise. And so the cost of that noise is high. Students make the wrong choice. Students enrolled in a program that they cannot afford. And students borrow more than they expected. Students drop out without a degree, but with debt. And we can prevent that. And we can make sure that that these tools advance equity, not confusion. And we can do this with one common sense safeguard.
▶ 1:34:59Mr. Chair, annual consumer testing is the bare minimum that we owe our students, especially those who are navigating higher education without a road map. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to to withdraw my amendment. I yield back.
▶ 1:35:19I thank the gentle lady. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of substitute to For what purpose does the gentle lady from Oregon seek to be recognized?
▶ 1:35:32Uh, Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. It is amendment number
▶ 1:35:42The clerk will designate the amendment. Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6498 offered by Miss Bonamichi of Oregon identifier
▶ 1:35:58Does the gentleman from Missouri wish a point of order?
▶ 1:36:01Uh Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of
▶ 1:36:04Point of order is reserved. I now recognize the gentle lady from Oregon uh for five minutes in support of her
▶ 1:36:09Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. This bill directs the Secretary of Education and the Commissioner of Statistics at the Institute of Education Sciences to implement a series of changes to the college scorecard and the net price calculator. Regardless of the merits of this policy, this committee cannot ignore the fact that the secretary has spent the last few months dismantling the department through transfers of power that undermine the laws Congress has written, delegating that power to the Department of Education.
▶ 1:36:39Words matter. If my colleagues on the other side wanted the Department of Labor to handle the college scorecard or the net price calculator, they could have drafted this bill to reflect that. But they did not. To make sure that the secretary follows what Congress has clearly intended, my amendment would prohibit the secretary from delegating the powers and functions she is given in this bill to any other federal entity, public or private organization.
▶ 1:37:05This amendment will still allow for consultation with other departments if it's necessary, for example, to disagregate data on financial aid assistance that may be housed at the departments of defense, veterans affairs, or labor. But it does not allow for the wholesale delegation we've seen from the secretary recently. I am sure that the remaining attorneys in the office of the general counsel will attempt to devise a way to allow the to sherk the responsibilities vested in her under this bill if it becomes law.
▶ 1:37:35But the intent of Congress should be clear. We expect the Department of Education to do this work and we will not authorize more power to the secretary unless our expectation is crystal clear that the Department of Education will do the work. So I urge adoption of this important amendment and I yield back.
▶ 1:37:53I thank the gentle lady. Does the gentleman from Missouri wish to reserve his point of order?
▶ 1:37:59I withdraw my point of order.
▶ 1:38:01Point of order is withdrawn. Are there any other members who wish to speak on the amendment to the amendment and the nature of a substitute? I then recognized myself to uh speak in opposition to the Inter agency partnerships are important steps, first steps to rightsize the federal bureaucracy,
▶ 1:38:32which has expanded without regard to operational efficiency or cost to hardworking American taxpayers. Partnerships between agencies can increase communication and collaboration on important issues while also reducing the need for states to consult multiple federal agencies.
▶ 1:38:53I'm also concerned that this amendment could hamstring the Department of Education from using long-standing flexibilities in federal law designed to promote more effective implementation of federal laws in a misguided attempt to score political points. Today, we're focused on providing students with more information so they can make informed financial decisions about their post-secary education.
▶ 1:39:19Debating IAAS, inter agency agreements that are not relevant to this bill would not further this goal. I oppose the amendment and I yield back. Is there further debate on the If not, the question is on the amendment by the gentle lady from Oregon. All in favor say I.
▶ 1:39:51All oppose, no. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment is not agreed
▶ 1:40:02A roll call is requested. A roll call vote is ordered. Pursuant to the chair's previous announcement, this vote will be postponed. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6498? Uh the gentle lady from North Carolina, Miss Adams. Do you wish to be
▶ 1:40:22Yes, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. Uh ADAMS_561.
▶ 1:40:29The clerk will report the amendment. Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6498 offered by Miss Adams of North Carolina. Identifier AdamNC_561.
▶ 1:40:42Mr. Ander, do you reserve a point of
▶ 1:40:45Yes, Mr. Chairman. I reserve a point of
▶ 1:40:47Point of order is reserved. I now recognize the gentle lady from North Carolina for five minutes in support of her amendment.
▶ 1:40:54Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, my amendment requires the Department of Education to provide an explanation anytime the new universal net price calculator produces a cost estimate that differs from the estimate on an institution's own calculator. And let me explain why this is necessary. Because the entire purpose of a net price calculator is to help students understand what college will actually cost them.
▶ 1:41:21Not the sticker price, not the advertised [clears throat] tuition, but the real price a student pays after grants and scholarships. But but but here here's the problem. Students across this country are already seeing conflicting numbers when they search for for college costs. One calculator says one thing, a second tool says something else, and the family is left asking wh which one is right? But which number can we trust?
▶ 1:41:51Now imagine being a first generation student trying to make sense sense of this. Imagine being a low-income parent trying to compare options for the first time. Imagine being a community college advisor trying to help a student choose an affordable transfer pathway.
▶ 1:42:13If the federal calculator shows one price and and the institution shows another and no one explains the difference, then the transparency that that we're promising today becomes confusion tomorrow. And confusion confusion has consequences. Students walk away from from colleges that they can afford because they don't trust the numbers.
▶ 1:42:40Students enroll in programs that that cost more than they expected because they misunderstood the estimate. Students borrow more than they need or or worse, they drop out when when the bill doesn't match the promise. We can prevent that. This amendment simply says if the two calculators give two different answers, then tell students why. Is it because student the the school includes additional grants?
▶ 1:43:11Is it because of of different assumptions about family income? Is it because of housing choices, meal plans, or or unmet need? Students deserve to know. Families deserve clarity and institutions deserve consistency. And let me be clear, this amendment does not impose new burdens on schools. It does not slow down the calculator and it does not require a new bureaucracy.
▶ 1:43:41It simply it simply requires the Department of Education to give the public what it already needs in order for this tool to work. A plain language explanation when the numbers don't match. And if the majority is serious about transparency, then we should show support that we should support the transparency that students actually understand, not just the transparency that looks good on paper because when two calculators speak with two different voices, students hear
▶ 1:44:11only one thing. I don't know which one to trust. And and trust is something that we cannot afford to lose. not when students are making lifechanging financial decisions that will follow them for years. Mr. Chair, this amendment is is plain common sense. It strengthens the bill. It strengthens transparency and most importantly, it strengthens students ability to make informed, confident decisions about their education.
▶ 1:44:42I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. Does the gentleman from Missouri seek?
▶ 1:44:55I withdraw my point of order.
▶ 1:44:56I withdraw my point of order, Mr.
▶ 1:44:59The point of the reservation is Does anyone else seek recognition on the I then recognize myself to speak to the amendment. I appreciate sincerely my colleagues comments about calculations being estimates.
▶ 1:45:19I want to point out that the bill already addresses this I believe by requiring that students be informed that these are estimates based on the best available data. I also don't want to imply that institutional differences mean a different responsibility to provide students with the right consumer There is a need for all students to have clear ballpark estimates on their costs so
▶ 1:45:50they can plan. With that being said, this amendment aligns with the bill and we can accept this amendment. Thank you and I yield Is there further debate on the If not, the question is on the amendment by the gentle lady from North Carolina. All in favor say I.
▶ 1:46:15I. All oppose. No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. And the amendment is agreed to. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute? For what purpose does the gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wilson, seek to be recognized? I
▶ 1:46:39have an amendment at the desk. The clerk will report the amendment.
▶ 1:46:43Amendment to the amendment and in the nature of a substitute to HR6498 offered by Miss Wilson of Florida, identifier WS
▶ 1:46:56Mr. Chairman,
▶ 1:46:57does the uh does the gentleman from Missouri want to reserve a point of
▶ 1:47:02Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of
▶ 1:47:03Point of order reserve is reserved. I now recognize the gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wilson, for five minutes in support of her amendment.
▶ 1:47:10Mr. Chairman, [clears throat] HR 6498 directs the Secretary of Education to make needed improvements to the college scorecard and the net price calculator. But the bill lacks key provisions, ones that actually require the secretary to do the work we are giving her.
▶ 1:47:40In other words, the Department of Education must do the work, house the work, and produce the work. Starting this September, we have seen the secretary use authority from the economy act and inter agency agreements to offload the work of the department of education onto
▶ 1:48:10other agencies. Just last month, in an attempt to gut the Department of Education, the department entered into six new inter agency agreements with the Department of Health and Human Services, Interior, Labor, and State, sending multiple programs not back to the states,
▶ 1:48:40but instead to other federal One of the original reasons the Department of Education was created was to centralize education matters in one department instead of forcing citizens to navigate a bureaucratic maze of departments all over Washington
▶ 1:49:10DC. In order to make sure that the secretary follows the clear text of this bill, my amendment would prohibit the secretary from trying to outsource the needed improvements to the college scorecard and the net price calculator through new or current inter
▶ 1:49:41agency agreement. Further, my amendment prohibits the secretary from using authority from the economy act to place orders with other departments to complete the work of If this committee is going to vest the secretary with power
▶ 1:50:11to accomplish something, it should not do so with a wink and a nod, knowing knowing fit full well that she will pass the work on to someone else in an effort to gut the department of education. We are the education committee. Please remember that.
▶ 1:50:40I urge adoption of this amendment and I yield back.
▶ 1:50:46I thank the gentle lady. Does the gentleman from Oregon insist on the point of order?
▶ 1:50:50I withdraw my point of order.
▶ 1:50:52The the reservation is withdrawn. Does any other member seek to speak on the amendment? I then recognize myself and must state that I I stand in opposition to Representative Wilson's amendment. Uh prohibiting inter agency agreements is not what's best for students and that truly is what we're here for.
▶ 1:51:19As yes, the Education and Workforce Committee, we're policy makers. Um, and the American public needs to know that we're working for the best solutions and sometimes those come without doing the same old thing that hasn't really worked thus far. Inter agency agreements foster collaboration between agencies and many administrations.
▶ 1:51:50Republican and Democrat have made use of them to improve implementation of federal law. Handcuffing the Department of Education from making use of this authority in implementing this bill just to make a political point I believe is not common sense and is misguided.
▶ 1:52:11I must respectfully oppose this Is there further debate on the If not, the question is on the amendment by the gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wilson. All in favor say I.
▶ 1:52:29All oppose, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment is not agreed to.
▶ 1:52:39A roll call vote is requested. The roll call vote is ordered. Pursuant to the chair's previous announcement, this vote will be postponed. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute For what purpose does the representative from Virginia, the ranking member, Mr. Scott, seek to be recognized?
▶ 1:53:03I have an amendment at the desk um AMD effective date.
▶ 1:53:12The clerk will report the amendment. Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6498 offered by Mr. Scott of Virginia identifier 6498 AMD effective date.
▶ 1:53:25Um Mr. Ander, do you wish to reserve a point of order?
▶ 1:53:30Yes, Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of
▶ 1:53:31A point of order is reserved. I now recognize the gentleman from Virginia, the ranking member, Mr. Scott, for five minutes in support of his amendment.
▶ 1:53:38Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, would require the Department of Education to implement all of these changes to the college school score school score school score school score school score school board as my colleagues and I have already expressed I do not have confidence that the this administration will faithfully implement u this bill institute of education sciences has next to no staff left right now and the secretary McMahon has signaled more dismantling
▶ 1:54:08of the department still to come. My amendment would provide funding to the department to implement the sweeping reforms of Without dedicated funding and staffing, these changes cannot be implemented. I would also it would also require the department to report to Congress explicitly how the agency plans to utilize the funds. This is critical to hold the administration accountable for following the directives of Congress.
▶ 1:54:36To ensure that the provisions of the bill can actually be implemented, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. Yield back.
▶ 1:54:44I thank the gentleman. Does the gentleman from Oregon insist on the point of order?
▶ 1:54:49I withdraw my point of order.
▶ 1:54:51Reservation is withdrawn. Are there any others who wish to be recognized on this Seeing none, I recognize myself uh in opposition to the amendment. I believe for too long the federal bureaucracy has expanded without regard to operational efficiency or cost to the American taxpayer.
▶ 1:55:17Uh the Trump administration has yes indeed taken great steps to reduce the government bloat while still maintaining Um, this bill does not create new programs or new bureaucracy. Instead, it uses data to answer questions students have about cost, debt, and their earnings.
▶ 1:55:40This aligns with the goals of the administration and I would say myself as We have seen some evidences of success, significant success that were not seen in the last administration, specifically with FAFSA.
▶ 1:55:58I uh certainly reserve u my opinions on whether success will come with other efforts but thus far we have seen a willingness to not simply try things but plan beforehand and also align department of education uh employees with other agencies as well. I believe truly again this does align with the goals of the administration.
▶ 1:56:26Just this week the administration announced a needed improvement on the FAFSA form that I mentioned uh to provide more information about the typical earnings of a college There is no need I believe to increase government bureaucracy and funding just for funding's sake. And so with that, um, I will oppose the Thank you. I yield back.
▶ 1:56:56Is there further debate on the If not, the question is on the amendment by the gentleman from Virginia, the ranking member, Mr. Scott. All in favor say I.
▶ 1:57:10All oppose, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nose have it and the amendment is not agreed to.
▶ 1:57:19A roll call vote is ordered. Pursuant to the chair's previous announcement, this vote will be postponed. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6498? Um, for what purpose does a gentleman from Virginia seek to be recognized? Mr.
▶ 1:57:36Chairman, I have an Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk AMD NPC. The clerk will report the amendment.
▶ 1:57:44Amendment [clears throat] to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6498 offered by Mr. Scott of Virginia identifier DEM AMD NPC.
▶ 1:57:55Uh does the gentleman from Missouri uh reserve seek to reserve a point of
▶ 1:58:01Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of
▶ 1:58:03A point of order is reserved. I now recognize the gentleman for Virginia uh the ranking member, Mr. Scott, for five minutes in support of his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as we talk about the cost of education, we'd like to point out that congressional Republicans passed their big ugly law that transferred $30 billion from federal student aid to billionaires tax cuts.
▶ 1:58:27My amendment would add just one important additional piece of information to the universal net price calculator and that would show students how much federal aid they would have received had it not been for the cuts in the big ugly bill to PEL grants and student loans. Since my colleagues are so confident that the big ugly bill will improve college affordability, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment so that students can see the alleged improvement.
▶ 1:58:57I yield back. I thank the gentleman. Uh does the gentleman from Missouri insist on the point of order?
▶ 1:59:05Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my point of
▶ 1:59:07A point of order is with withdrawn. Does anyone wish to speak further on the amendment? Um Mr. Ander, gentleman from Missouri, do you wish to speak on the
▶ 1:59:17Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:59:18You're recognized.
▶ 1:59:20I am opposed to this amendment. This amendment would be both unreasonable and unnecessary for improving college cost transparency. It would weaken the net price calculators usefulness by adding a needless and distracting policy comparison that would only serve to make the tool more confusing for students and families. Thank you and I yield back. others who seek recognition on this
▶ 1:59:55Seeing none, if uh the question now comes on the amendment by the gentleman for Virginia, Mr. Scott, all in favor say I.
▶ 2:00:05All oppose, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment is not agreed to. Roll call. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute? Seeing none, further action on HR6498 is postponed.
▶ 2:00:33We'll now move to consider the next bill. The committee will now proceed to consideration of the bill HR6502 for amendment. The amendment was circ The bill was circulated in advance and printed copies are available.
▶ 2:00:56The clerk shall designate the bill a bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of of Education to develop requirements for institutions of higher education on formatting financial aid offer forms and for other purposes.
▶ 2:01:14Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with. Without objection, the bill will be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. and any amendment offered shall be considered as read. Does anyone seek to be recognized?
▶ 2:01:33Representative Ander, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
▶ 2:01:36Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the
▶ 2:01:39This clerk shall designate the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 2:01:43Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6502 offered by Mr. and of Missouri identifier ANS AID_01.
▶ 2:01:54The clerk shall designate the amendment in nature of substitute without objection. The amendment shall be considered original text for purposes of further amendment. The amendment in a nature of a substitute has already been distributed. I now recognize the gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Ander, for five minutes to explain the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 2:02:14Thank you, Mr. Chairman. HR6502 is the college financial aid clarity act will put honest, clear, and comparable information into the hands of students and families so that they can make sound decisions about post-secary education and finances. Post-secary education is a competitive market. Students and families are deciding whether to exchange time and money for a credential.
▶ 2:02:43That competitive market functions best when buyers and sellers have the same facts. Today, too many institutions provide aid offers that confuse rather than inform, presenting loans as aid, hiding required costs and using inconsistent formats that make applesto apples comparisons nearly impossible. A 2022 GAO report found that 91% of colleges failed to follow best pricing practices in financial aid offers.
▶ 2:03:14Unsurprisingly, trust in higher education pricing has eroded. Only one in four Americans now thinks college is quote worth the money. And eight and 10 say colleges are doing a fair or poor job of keeping tuition affordable. HR6502 fixes these problems by requiring the Department of Education to develop a standardized consumer tested format for financial aid offers and requires institutions that receive federal funds to adopt that format.
▶ 2:03:45Under the bill, the department will conduct extensive consumer testing with students, families, counselors, colleges, lenders, and states and publish final formatting requirements by July 1st, 2028. Beginning July 1st, 2029, institutions would be required to implement these standardized formats. It is past time to restore trust in higher education, reduce predatory and misleading aid practices, and help families make more informed comparable decisions about college.
▶ 2:04:16My amendment redu removes redundant language, makes technical improvements, and strengthens [snorts] enforcement by having a random sample of aid offers periodically reviewed for compliance. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and to support the college financial aid clarity act. With that, I yield back. I thank the gentleman. Are there any members who wish to be recognized for further discussion on the amendment and the nature of a substitute?
▶ 2:04:46Miss Wilson,
▶ 2:04:48u the gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wilson, do you wish to be recognized? Let's just go to Mr. Scott.
▶ 2:05:13Uh, does the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Scott, wish to be recognized on the amendment and the nature of the
▶ 2:05:20Yes, Mr. Speaker.
▶ 2:05:21You're [clears throat] recognized.
▶ 2:05:23Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, we're marking up a bill that will require colleges and universities to provide aid offer information in a more standardized way than is currently required. Though, it still may cause some confusion. Currently, federal law does not require institutions to standardize terminology and formatting in financial aid offer forms. This means that financial aid offer forms can vary across institutions, which can make it difficult to compare aid offers for students and families.
▶ 2:05:52This has been a long-standing concern for both students and families. So, I acknowledge my Republican colleagues the effort my Republican colleagues have taken to ensure that colleges and universities are presenting aid office information with clarity and with some formatting requirements. This bill will require the Secretary of Education and this bill would also require the Secretary of Education to conduct consumer testing to establish requirements for institutions on formatting financial aid offer forms.
▶ 2:06:23And though this bill does provide some transparency in financial aid information, particularly the required costs, the bill fails to define indirect costs, which are those costs which are not directly build to the student. omitting uh what these indirect costs are that students must pay like housing that's not built to the student by the institution run counter to the goal of providing transparency in financial aid offer forms.
▶ 2:06:52Additionally, while uh the bill includes language on the students net price, which is the cost of attendance after grants and scholarships are applied, this bill will require institutions to provide program level metrics, which include annual net price of attendance and the annual net price of completion in the financial aid offer forms.
▶ 2:07:14These metrics are a shift in what advocates in the field are suggesting is required for the these metrics are a shift from what the advocates in the field are suggesting which is to require institutions to provide clarity in financial aid offer forms but not requiring the institutions provide program level data specifically for financial aid forms.
▶ 2:07:39This bill also includes additional metrics which focus on the average net price of attendance and the average net price required for completion which would mean that institutions would be required to provide data on the averages of students attending the institution and completing their degree of study.
▶ 2:07:57And it'll be clear, program level data is important, but at the same time, including this information in financial aid offer forms can present an overload of information that could be confusing for students and families as they try to compare aid offers under these new metrics. Bottom line is that I acknowledge this may be a step in the right direction.
▶ 2:08:17However, there may be elements in this bill that appear to be overly complicated in what needs to be presented in terms of cost information when financial aid offer forms in clear and transparent matter. In any event, it's important to note that explaining the cost better does not offset the increase in cost to students inflicted by the big ugly bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 2:08:45I thank the gentleman. Are there any other members who wish to be recognized for further discussion on the amendment and the nature of the substitute?
▶ 2:08:52I move to strike the last word.
▶ 2:08:56Uh I recognize the gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wilson.
▶ 2:09:03Do you wish to speak on the amendment and the nature of the substitute?
▶ 2:09:09This bill gets something right. You're recognized. This bill gets something right. Students deserve financial aid offers that are comparable, and honest. Standard terminology, clearer explanations of what is a grant and what is a loan. Disclosures about renewability and outside scholarships.
▶ 2:09:39Those are basic protections for first generation and lowincome students. A transparent aid letter can be the difference between a smart investment and a financial disaster.
▶ 2:09:56But it is hard to take Republicans sudden passion for clarity seriously while they are dismantling the Department of Education in broad You cannot say you want students to understand their aid and then scatter core education functions across the federal
▶ 2:10:26bureaucracy, dumping them into the departments of labor, interior, state, and health and human services. as if students protections were just another line item in a workforce You cannot claim to care about clean accurate financial aid officers offers
▶ 2:10:58while you are cutting the very staff who build the tools, safeguard the data and enforce the rules. And let's be clear, the cuts and structural changes wrapped into the one big ugly law have hollowed out the federal capacity needed to make any of this work.
▶ 2:11:27Now there are fewer people to monitor fewer people to respond when colleges mislead students, fewer people to keep the technology running and guard student privacy rights.
▶ 2:11:48Yet somehow we are told that a new set of formatting rules will fix If we truly want financial aid clarity, it takes more than a nicely designed letter head.
▶ 2:12:10It takes a strong, fully funded department of education with the resources and workforce to back up the fine print with real Anything less is just rebranding posing as reform. Mr.
▶ 2:12:40Chair, we are the education committee and we should be the department of education and I yield
▶ 2:12:58I thank the gentle lady. Are there any other members who wish to be recognized for further discussion on the amendment in the nature of a substitute? There being no further discussion on the amendment and nature of the substitute, the committee will move on to consideration of amendments. Are there any members who wish would like to offer Uh I recognize the gentle lady from North Carolina, Miss Adams. You wish to be recognized for an amendment.
▶ 2:13:25Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I have an amendment at the desk. DM Uh the clerk will designate
▶ 2:13:38amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6502 offered by Miss Adams of North Carolina identifier dem_amdore true cost.
▶ 2:13:51Does the gentleman from Missouri wish to be recognized?
▶ 2:13:54Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of
▶ 2:13:56A point of order is reserved. I now recognize the gentle lady from North Carolina, Miss Adams, for uh uh discussion on her her amendment.
▶ 2:14:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh this bill, as mentioned earlier, is a step in the right direction for helping students and families compare cost information in financial aid offers. However, despite this improvement, there are additional steps and in some ways redirections needed to ensure that student and families will be able to easily compare cost, college costs across institutions where all the required information in the financial
▶ 2:14:36aid forms is presented in a clear and consistent manner. This amendment, the language of the understanding the true cost of college act will require the the secretary of education to develop standard terminology and a standard form for financial aid offers. Uh this would mean that colleges and universities will be required to present costs and aid information in a clear and consistent manner.
▶ 2:15:05Unlike the Republican bill, this amendment would create standardization by ensuring that colleges and universities use the same terminology, definitions, and formatting on financial aid offer forms.
▶ 2:15:20This amendment will help bring clarity to an often to an often confusing yet complex process for students and families as they compare college costs uh information across Additionally, this amendment has bipartisan support across both chambers and is heavily supported among advocates in the field, which will provide students and families with what they need to easily compare financial aid
▶ 2:15:50offers. I'm a I'm a parent and I have grandchildren right now in college and we're always looking at that. But while my Republican colleagues do take certain steps in their bill to improve how certain elements must appear and and how that information is ordered, unfortunately, this bill falls short of and and creating a uniform financial aid offer form for colleges and universities.
▶ 2:16:18Further, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment that will ensure greater transparency in financial aid office. And Mr. Chairman, I yield that.
▶ 2:16:28I thank the gentle lady. Does the gentleman from Missouri insist on the point of order?
▶ 2:16:32I withdraw my point of order, Mr.
▶ 2:16:34The reservation is withdrawn. Does anyone else seek recognition on the If not, I would like to speak on the amendment myself. I I I'm glad to see my colleagues are also interested in proving transparency financial aid offers. Uh the college financial aid clarity act uh builds on many concepts from past bills including the concepts proposed in the democrat amendment.
▶ 2:17:05Uh there is a lot of overlap and agreement and if we had more time prior to this being offered we maybe would have been able to work them out. Unfortunately, offering this as a lastminute amendment means we don't have that time to do a full comparison and work out differences at this moment.
▶ 2:17:27However, I'd be happy to continue to work with my colleague on areas we agree on moving to the floor, but I'm opposed to this amendment at this time. Thank you. I yield back. Is there further debate on the If not, the question is on the amendment by the gentle lady from North Carolina. All in favor say I.
▶ 2:17:58All oppose. No. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment is not agreed to. Mr.
▶ 2:18:06Chair request a recorded vote.
▶ 2:18:08A roll call vote is ordered. Pursuant to the chair's previous announcement, this vote will be postponed. I now recognize the gentle lady from Oregon, Miss Bonamichi, uh, to speak on an amendment.
▶ 2:18:27Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk, Bami_062.
▶ 2:18:34The clerk will designate the amendment. Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6502 offered by Miss Bonamichi of Oregon identifier Bami_062.
▶ 2:18:48Uh does the member from Missouri reserve a point of order?
▶ 2:18:52I reserve a point of order, Mr.
▶ 2:18:54Point of order is reserved. I now recognize the gentle lady from Oregon, Miss Bonamichi, for five minutes in support of her amendment.
▶ 2:19:01Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I want to start by saying that we spent time this morning with this bill, HR6502 and HR6498 talking about transparency and how and when and why we're going to tell students and families that college is expensive, but we're not doing anything to make college more affordable, which is what we should be doing. Uh that is the underlying issue, Mr. Chairman, is that we should be making college more affordable.
▶ 2:19:30Um so so Mr. Chairman with regard to this amendment this bill directs the secretary of education to oversee the standardization of information including in included in financial award letters from institutions of higher education. That that's a lotable concept but again it doesn't do anything to make college more affordable. But one of the sections of this bill is actually titled secretarial requirements.
▶ 2:19:55Based on the track record of the Secretary of Education, it would not surprise me if she's already devising a way to pass these requirements on to someone else or to some other agency. Um, after all, the president asked her to put herself out of a job. We all know that the secretary is actively decimating the department. And if Congress wants to be taken seriously, it must not avoid this truth, but confronted in every new piece of legislation, entrusting the secretary with power.
▶ 2:20:24Um, and I assure you, Mr. Chairman, this is not a a political issue. This is about legislative intent and clarity. We are making legislation here. That's what this committee is doing. And the words of this bill talk about the secretary's responsibilities.
▶ 2:20:40So to guarantee that the secretary will actually follow the clear intent of Congress in this legislation, my amendment would prohibit the secretary from delegating the power and function she is given in this bill to any other federal entity, private or public organization. This is about legislative intent and clarity and having the secretary of education who is given responsibilities in this bill under this bill made clear.
▶ 2:21:08So, if we truly want to get the standardization of award letters correct, which is something students and families need and deserve, we should not avoid the fact that this technical work will need to be done by people with a subject matter expertise to accomplish it at the Department of Education. I urge adoption of the amendment and I yield back.
▶ 2:21:29I thank the gentle lady. Does the gentleman from Missouri insist on the point of order? I withdraw my point of order.
▶ 2:21:39The reservation is withdrawn. Does anyone else seek recognition on the I recognize myself for five minutes uh in opposition to the amendment to limit the Department of Education's ability to transfer functions to other departments.
▶ 2:22:00We know and it's been very clear this the secretary of education um and as mentioned today the chairman of this committee would would desire to abolish the department of education which has failed its function for well really since it was formed. However, we also know that there is law and Congress will have to abolish it.
▶ 2:22:28And so we believe that the administration and the secretary are sincerely following the law in attempting to do the functions that are based upon the department still being in place, but to do it better than it's done before.
▶ 2:22:48Inter agency partnerships are crucial for communication and collaboration on important issues and have been used by multiple administrations both Republican and Democrat.
▶ 2:23:04I'm concerned that this amendment could impede the Department of Education's to utilize flexibilities in federal law designed to promote more effective and success in this case for education. Let's refocus our attention on ensuring every student is informed and able to make wise decisions about their post-secary future. and I yield back.
▶ 2:23:37Is there further debate on the If not, the question is on the amendment by the gentle lady from Oregon, Miss Bonamichi. All in favor say I.
▶ 2:23:50All oppose, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment is not agreed to. A roll call vote is ordered. Pursuant to the chair's previous announcement, this vote will be postponed. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6502?
▶ 2:24:17For what purpose does the gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wilson, seek to be
▶ 2:24:26Have [clears throat] an amendment at the The clerk will report the amendment.
▶ 2:24:32Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6502 offered by Miss Wilson of Florida, identifier WS
▶ 2:24:44Mr. Chairman,
▶ 2:24:45Mr. Ander, do you uh wish to reserve a point of order?
▶ 2:24:48Yes, Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of
▶ 2:24:50Point of order is reserved. I now recognize the gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wilson, for five minutes in support of her amendment.
▶ 2:24:57Mr. Chairman HR6502 directs the Secretary of Education to issue standardized requirements for financial aid award letters.
▶ 2:25:12My amendment would simply make sure that we get the Secretary of Education to work on this and not another The secretary is actively dismantling the department of education through the use of authority from the economy act and a inter agency
▶ 2:25:44This is already resulting in bureaucratic confusion as students, teachers, and school administrators have no sense of who to contact when they have questions about federal In fact, members of Congress have no idea who to contact.
▶ 2:26:13Representative Darno and I visited the and you can tell that she has no idea who we should contact. In fact, when we visited her, they were actually planning a job fair the next So, what you talking about?
▶ 2:26:38Chaos and Financial aid to go to college is an opportunity to change the life of a student through higher education.
▶ 2:26:54It is too important to allow the Secretary of Education and this Congress and this committee to pass the buck to another department in order to make sure that the secretary follows the clear text of this bill.
▶ 2:27:20My amendment would prohibit the secretary from using new or current inter agency agreements to accomplish the goals of HR652.
▶ 2:27:37Further, my amendment prohibits the secretary from using authority from the economy act to place orders with other departments to complete the work of The secretary has been forthright about following the president's directive to put herself
▶ 2:28:08out of a job. And when I spoke with the secretary, I said to her, "Do you really want your legacy to be the dismantling of the Department of Education?" Think about that. Think about what you are doing.
▶ 2:28:34We would do well to remember another This one from Maya Angelou. When someone shows you who they are, believe them. This secretary has made it clear.
▶ 2:28:56She wants to gut the Department of Education and not perform the duties she should be doing as Secretary of So, let's take her at her word and adopt this amendment to prevent that. And I yield back.
▶ 2:29:22I thank the gentle lady. Mr. Ander, do you insist on a point of order?
▶ 2:29:26I withdraw my point of order.
▶ 2:29:27The reservation is withdrawn. Does anyone else seek recognition on the
▶ 2:29:34Mr. Mr. Chairman,
▶ 2:29:36I I would just like to speak in favor of the amendment.
▶ 2:29:39I recognize the gentle lady from Oregon to speak in favor of the amendment. You
▶ 2:29:43Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um I think we're we're always looking for smarter, better ways to do things, but uh dividing responsibilities between what's left of the Department of Education and and giving massive new responsibilities primarily to the Department of Labor, but other agencies as well, uh is actually inefficient. uh and and oftentimes requires people to work with two different agencies instead of one.
▶ 2:30:09For example, uh by sending title one to the department of labor, the entitled title title one budget is bigger than the entire department of labor budget. But I certainly don't see the expertise or the staff uh [snorts] that that's needed to meet those responsibilities. So uh I again I I don't agree that these these particular inter agency agreements are going to make things uh uh smoother or more efficient.
▶ 2:30:35I think it's going to create more bureaucracy but also uh more uh confusion and and more misinformation without having the appropriate staff or funding. So I support uh the amendment by the gentleoman from Florida and I encourage others to do the same and I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. Does anyone else seek recognition on the amendment? If not, I recognize myself um for five minutes.
▶ 2:31:06For too long, the federal bureaucracy has expanded unchecked. Inter agency partnerships are a common sense response to bloated government by encouraging collaboration on important issues and ensuring laws are implemented effectively regardless of size or even The challenge is taken and received and the effort is made.
▶ 2:31:36We're here to discuss bills that will provide students with more information on the cost of attending school, equipping them to make smart financial decisions as they pursue post-secary We shouldn't get distracted by political that could be also make implementation of this bill less effective and efficient. And for that reason, I must oppose this amendment and I yield back.
▶ 2:32:07Is there further debate on the amendment? [clears throat] If not, the question is on the amendment by the gentle lady from Florida, Miss Wilson. All in favor say I.
▶ 2:32:19All oppose, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment is not agreed to. A roll call vote is ordered. Pursuant to the chair's previous announcement, this vote will be postponed.
▶ 2:32:58If there were uh there are no further amendments being uh for that reason further action on HR 6502 is being postponed pursu pursuant to the previous order. The chair declares the committee in recess subject to the call of the chair. We expect to reconvene promptly at 300 p.m. Thank you. So, the committee stands in recess.
▶ 5:06:00for uh getting backside. We have a few more coming and we can hold the board a bit, but I think we ought to get going. But first, I want to take an opportunity to say thank you to u an for all you did to uh put a wonderful party for the committee together last night. And those of you that were here know the great food that we had and fellowship. Uh it was good to be together for the Christmas holiday party.
▶ 5:06:30So and thank you very much for heading that up. Did a great job. God knows we don't have enough parties going on around this time of year, but uh nonetheless, this committee had a good one. It was good to see all the staff here and get a chance to uh talk across the aisle.
▶ 5:06:55Y'all were invited.
▶ 5:07:03I didn't go out.
▶ 5:07:05We didn't get an invitation, Mr. Chair, over this.
▶ 5:07:07Let me uh
▶ 5:07:09check I think we ought to take that up with the ranking member or something But but I tell you just
▶ 5:07:18those of you that were here, you appreciated so much the rendition of Good King Wes that Bobby and I did. Uh it was impressive, wasn't it, Bobby? That we could stay on key. And
▶ 5:07:30if you Let's get moving. I here I move that the committee report the bill HR6392 to the House of Representatives with amendment and with Did we adopt the amendment as
▶ 5:07:55we did?
▶ 5:07:55We did with amendment and with the recommendation that the amendment be agreed to and the bill to p do pass. The question now occurs on the chair's motion. All in favor say I. I
▶ 5:08:12All oppose. No. In the opinion of the chairs, Christmas has arrived. And no, that didn't say that there. The eyes have it
▶ 5:08:21and the motion is agreed. Would you like a recorder vote? A recorder vote has been requested. Uh members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. Uh the clerk will open the board.
▶ 5:09:01Have all members been recorded
▶ 5:09:05who wish to be recorded? Do any members wish to change their
▶ 5:09:20Hearing none, will the clerk please close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:09:24Mr. Chairman on this vote, there are 33 yays and zero nays.
▶ 5:09:28The eyes have it and the motion is agreed to. HR 6392 as amended and the accompanying material shall be transmitted to the House of Representatives. chair notes for the record that a quorum is present. We'll now be voting on one amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR6472.
▶ 5:09:55The amendment offered by Miss Adams titled AdamNc558. A recorded vote is requested. The members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. Open the vote, please.
▶ 5:10:29have description. This amendment uh by Representative Adams requires the federal government to reimburse each public school for the difference between instate and out ofstate tuition for students taking advantage of the benefit of this bill.
▶ 5:10:45This provision will cost money and no such provision was included during the other times we are provided uh we have provided this benefit to other School boards are off.
▶ 5:11:07If you would show the uh the vote. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded. Do any members wish to change their votes? Hearing none, will the clerk please close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:11:26Mr. Chairman, on this vote there are 14 yays and 19 nays. The amendment is not adopted. The question now occurs on the amendment in the nature of a substitute as amended to HR6472.
▶ 5:11:50No amendment.
▶ 5:11:54No amendment. All in favor say I.
▶ 5:11:59All oppose? No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. An amendment in the nature of substitute is agreed to. I hereby move that the committee report the bill HR6472 to the House of Representatives with amendment and with the recommendation that the amendment be agreed to and the bill do pass. The question now occurs on the chair's motion.
▶ 5:12:28All in favor say I.
▶ 5:12:31All oppose. No.
▶ 5:12:34In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. Then the motion is agreed to. Recorded vote has been requested. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. Open the vote, please. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded?
▶ 5:13:00Do any members wish to change their Hearing none, will the clerk please close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:13:07Mr. Chairman, on this vote there are 32 yays and one nay.
▶ 5:13:11The eyes have it and the motion is agreed to. HR 6472 as amended and the accompanying materials shall be transmitted to the House of Representatives. The chair notes for the record that a quorum is present. We'll now be voting on four amendments to the amendment in nature of a substitute to HR6498.
▶ 5:13:33The amendment offered by representative Tano A recorded vote is requested. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will open the vote.
▶ 5:14:07Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Do any members wish to change their vote? Hearing none, will the clerk please close the vote and announce the
▶ 5:14:19Mr. Chairman, on this vote there are 14 yays and 19 nazs.
▶ 5:14:23The amendment is not adopted. We'll now be voting on amendment 061 by representative Bonamichi. A recorded vote is requested. Members will record their votes using electronic voting system.
▶ 5:14:49The clerk will open the Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded?
▶ 5:15:12Do any members wish to change their Hearing none, will the clerk please close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:15:22Mr. Chairman, on this vote, there are 14 yays and 19 nazs.
▶ 5:15:25The amendment is not adopted. We will now be voting on a third amendment which is uh Representative Wilson's amendment A recorded vote is requested. Members will record their votes using electronic voting system.
▶ 5:15:53The clerk will open the Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Do any members wish to change their Hearing none, will the clerk please close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:16:18Mr. Chairman, on this vote, there are 14 yays and 19 nays. The
▶ 5:16:21amendment is not adopted. We now move to Representative Scott's amendment uh noted as 6498MD effective date. The clerk will open the board.
▶ 5:16:55Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Do any members wish to change their Hearing none, will the clerk close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:17:06Mr. chairman on this vote there are 14 nays and 19 nays.
▶ 5:17:10The amendment is not adopted. The question now occurs on the amendment and the nature of a substitute as amended to HR6498. All in favor say I.
▶ 5:17:22I. All oppose. No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment in the nature of a substitute as amended is agreed to. I hereby my move that the
▶ 5:17:53committee report the bill HR6498 to the House of Representatives with amendment and with the recommendation that the amendment be agreed to and the bill do pass. The question now occurs on the chair's motion. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the motion is agreed to. Does anyone request record a vote? Record a vote is requested.
▶ 5:18:20Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will open the vote. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Do any members wish to change their Hearing none, will the clerk please close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:18:49Mr. Chairman, on this vote, there are 27 yays and six nays.
▶ 5:18:53The eyes have it and the motion is agreed to. HR6498 as amended and the accompanying material shall be transmitted to the House of Representatives. The chair notes for the record that a quorum is present. We'll now be voting on three amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute HR6502.
▶ 5:19:14The amendment offered by Miss Adams uh noted as demd true cost. A recorded vote is requested. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will open the vote.
▶ 5:19:44Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Do any members wish to change their Hearing none, will the clerk please close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:19:58Mr. Chairman, on this vote, there are 14 yays and 19 nazs.
▶ 5:20:02The amendment is not adopted. We'll now be voting on Representative Bonamichi's amendment. Bonam_062. A recorded vote is requested. Members will record their votes using electronic voting system. The clerk will open the Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded?
▶ 5:20:39Do any members wish to change their
▶ 5:20:44Hearing none. Will the clerk please close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:20:47Mr. Chairman, on this vote, there are 14 yays and 19 nays.
▶ 5:20:51The amendment is not adopted. We now move to the final me amendment. Uh, Representative Wilson of Florida, uh, identified as WILS_062. Recorded vote has been requested. Members will record their vote using electronic voting system. The clerk will open the vote.
▶ 5:21:23Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Do any members wish to change their Hearing none, will the clerk please close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:21:36Mr. Chairman, on this vote there are 14 yays and 19 nays.
▶ 5:21:40The amendment is not adopted.
▶ 5:21:43The question now occurs on the amendment and the nature of a substitute to All in favor say I. I.
▶ 5:21:52All oppose, no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. An amendment and the nature of a substitute is agreed to. I hereby move that the committee report the bill HR6502 to the House of Representatives with amendment and with the recommendation that the amendment be agreed to and the bill do pass. The question now occurs on the chair's motion. All in favor say I. I.
▶ 5:22:17All oppose, no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the motion is agreed to. Recorded vote is requested. Members will record their vote using the electronic voting system. The clerk will open the Got to look at my fingers.
▶ 5:22:47Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Do any members wish to change their Hearing none, will the clerk please close the vote and announce the tally?
▶ 5:22:59Mr. Chairman, on this vote, there are 23 yays and 10 nays.
▶ 5:23:02The eyes have it. The motion is agreed to. HR6502 as amended, and the accompanying material shall be transmitted to the House of Representatives to chair notes for the record that quorum is present. I ask unanimous consent that staff be authorized to make necessary technical and conforming changes to today's bills. Without objection, so ordered.
▶ 5:23:22Pursuant to House Rule 11, clause 2L, I give notice that all members have the requisite number of days to file supplemental, minority, additional, or desending views. Without objection, so ordered. Without objection, any members who wish to insert materials into the record may do so by submitting them to the committee clerk electronically by the end of the day today. If there is no further business before the committee, without objection, the committee stands