House committee approves higher ed bill 

This fall, the House Education and Labor Committee passed the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. This is the House's reauthorization legislation for the Higher Education Act, a version of which the full Senate already passed in July 2007.

To the relief of AFT members and academic freedom advocates, committee Democrats were able to block a last-minute amendment that would have added in so-called Academic Bill of Rights (ABOR) language. This amendment would have allowed government intervention in how faculty are hired, what they can teach and what students can learn in their college classrooms.

"In my view, the Academic Bill of Rights is a solution in search of a problem," Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) commented after the committee finished its work. "Based on my nearly three decades of experience as a college administrator, I believe our nation's academic institutions already do a first rate job of ensuring free speech for their students. So I am pleased that my colleagues joined me in voting against this unnecessary proposal."

In addition to fighting the ABOR amendment, the AFT used the limited time period between when the 747-page draft of the bill was released and when it was finalized to focus on a few key issues, says AFT legislative associate Jennifer Luciano. One was college affordability. "We like the increase in Pells to $9,000," she notes. The other issue is the expansion of the loan forgiveness provisions for the Federal Family Education Loan and direct loans to include more professions, specifically early childhood and nursing.

The bill reflects the committee's bipartisan concerns about rising college costs, and includes a controversial mechanism that will red-flag institutions that raise their tuition too much. Another controversial provision allows Congress the opportunity to move in on the accreditation process, something recommended by the Spellings Commission on the Future of Higher Education. And House members are sure to hear more from the AFT about a measure dealing with compensation and staffing issues.

As AFT On Campus went to press, the bill was expected to go to the full House for a vote in December or January. Then, the House and Senate will take both bills to conference and produce one bill from the two.

No override for Bush veto of Ed spending
On the same day that the House Education and Labor Committee forwarded its higher ed bill, the full House of Representatives failed to override President Bush's veto of a spending bill for education, labor and health programs for 2008. The vote was 277-141, with a two-thirds majority needed to override the president's veto.

The bipartisan spending bill would have provided a $3.2 billion increase in funding for education programs. Regrettably, too many members of Congress decided to support the veto and reject needed increases in education spending.

The Bush administration has stated that the president will veto any spending bill that offers funding above his 2008 budget request. If the leadership of the House and the Senate are forced to accept President Bush's spending levels, education programs will face a $1.2 billion cut.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has already proposed meeting President Bush half-way by significantly reducing the proposed spending increase, but it is unclear whether the president will be willing to compromise given the failed attempt to override his veto.

AFT activists sent hundreds of letters to Congress calling on representatives to override the president's veto. As the negotiation process moves forward, the AFT will continue to press Congress to provide as much funding for education as possible.

Congress puts No Child Left Behind on hold
The other main education event on Capitol Hill this year has been reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. When it appeared that legislators were putting the bill on a fast track for passage, AFT members and leaders urged their members of Congress to slow down and "get it right."

That message was heard. Both the Senate and House decided to postpone consideration of the bill until 2008, when hopefully the process will be more deliberative.

AFT members "have had a consistent message to Congress on NCLB reauthorization: Let's get it right," says AFT president Edward J. McElroy. "We know that it is too important to our students, teachers and communities to do otherwise."