Posted on 02/28/2012 10:24:47 PM PST by Libloather
House votes to roll back Department of Education rules
By Pete Kasperowicz - 02/28/12 04:29 PM ET
The House on Tuesday afternoon voted to repeal two Department of Education regulations, an act that Republicans said would help lower the cost of college for millions of students.
Members approved the Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act, H.R. 2117, in a 303-114 vote. Despite Democratic complaints about the bill during floor debate, 69 Democrats joined all voting Republicans in support of the legislation.
Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), who chairs the House Education and the Workforce Committee, argued on the floor that college costs rose 8 percent last year, and that the average graduate leaves school responsible for $22,000 in loans. He said getting the federal government out of the way would help.
"Solving a problem like rising college costs starts with recognizing that, as is so often the case, Washington is part of the problem," Kline said.
But Democrats disagreed, and said repealing the two 2010 rules in question would have little direct effect on tuition costs. One of the rules sets out federal guidelines state officials must follow when authorizing schools to operate in their state, and the other sets out a nation-wide definition for "credit hour" — both must be met for educational institutions to participate in federal aid programs.
Democrats also argued that the rules were meant to help ensure that federal education aid is directed to legitimate educational programs.
"This seems like a simple proposition: making sure taxpayers and students aren't getting ripped off," Education and the Workforce Committee ranking member George Miller (D-Calif.) said. "This legislation eliminates those important consumer protections, and it does so under the banner of academic freedom."
Instead of passing H.R. 2117, Democrats said the House should be focusing on ways to reduce student loan rates, which are expected to double starting July 1 unless Congress acts to keep the rates down.
House passage sends the education bill to a Senate that is likely to ignore it altogether. Another hurdle is the Obama administration, which said Monday that it opposes the bill.
"These regulations are necessary to prevent the inflation of the academic credits attributed to postsecondary education courses that could result in the over-awarding of federal student aid, and for the efficient administration of the student financial aid programs," the White House said of the Department of Education rules. However, the White House did not explicitly say it would veto the bill if it were to pass the Senate.
I was getting ready to cheer but then saw that it meant the rules.
The article lacks details, but my gut feel is: If George Miller voted against this, then I stand in support of the changes.
So, now what has this Republic devolved into?
A bloated bureaucracy makes the “laws”, while our representative government attempts, here and there where and when they feebly can, to write law that repeals those “laws”?
I have an idea for the House: Hows about going after No Child Left Behind before it completely destroys our public school system and leaves the federal government firmly in charge?
Federal (US taxpayers) funding of student loans with interest just guarantee the colleges and universities can get students. Of course, since they don’t have to worry about any defaults on the tuitions and fees, those great institutions of “higher” learning just keep increasing the tuitions and paying higher salaries to themselves.
Listening to Dave Ramsey on radio, I’ve heard dozens tell that they owe over $100,000 for student loans to get their degrees. People like that are IDIOTS!
Have you written to your elected representatives about this, making the same suggestion, and could you post a sample letter that all of us could use?
Incredible, isn’t it?
Our once respected House of Representatives, where agents of a free people debated the laws of a onetime republic, has been reduced to the status of poor supplicants. What a sight! These miserable people, who long ago stopped being our representatives, plead with the monsters they created.
I think that no more than 8-10% of the population has any business going anywhere near college.
That the House GOP wants (collectively) to make it EASIER for MORE to go is just a sign that we’re closer to the end.
You’re absolutely correct. Better to scrap the entire government education agenda and let consumers decide which education is best for them. Why do we let government determine what is or isn’t an education?
Too late.
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