OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005

By: Tom Price
By: Tom Price
Date: April 17, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Higher Education


COLLEGE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 2005
House of Representatives
March 29, 2006

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KELLER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I thank the chairman for yielding and for his hard work on this bill and the importance of this bill.

I am kind of stunned, because virtually every speaker from the other side has come down to the well or talked up there and talked about the ``$12 billion raid on student aid'' in the Deficit Reduction Act. Well, aside from the fact that that is not true, it is not what we are here to talk about. We are talking about bill 609.

We have heard this bill doesn't do much to help students attend college. We have heard if you vote for it, it is a missed opportunity. Well, Mr. Chairman, anyone voting against this bill, anyone voting against this bill is truly missing an opportunity to continue a very positive program.

Now, opponents can say what they want, but if you look at the figures, they don't lie. And what they tell you is that year after year after year we are increasing student aid.

What does this bill do? It strengthens Pell Grants, strengthens student aid, reduces red tape for students and graduates, removes barriers for nontraditional students, empowers consumers through sunshine and transparency in college costs. Also, it safeguards the privacy of students, eases college access for members and veterans of the armed services. It repeals duplicative and expired or unnecessary programs, and it promotes merit-based pay for teachers through the Teacher Incentive Fund, which is something I have a particular interest in.

The Teacher Incentive Fund specifically targets high-poverty schools, and it provides some extra compensation for teachers who achieve. The initiative rewards those who have delivered on student achievement. It was a recommendation of the bipartisan National Governors Association, which called for the creation of the Teacher Incentive Fund, and we responded.

Mr. Chairman, this bill is a positive move in the right direction, and I urge all Members, Republicans and Democrats, to put politics aside and vote for education for our young people. Vote ``yes'' on 609.

http://thomas.loc.gov

arrow_upward