Eye on Washington: What Just Happened?
By Terry Hartle
Even allowing for the typical confusion that surrounds
the federal government, December 2005 was wild. In just a few short
days, Congress passed several spending bills to keep federal agencies
running. Not much surprise there, even if the new funding levels are
pretty anemic for student aid and scientific research.
But Congress also moved close to cutting $13 billion
from the federal student loan program, reauthorized part of the Higher
Education Act, and created a brand new entitlement program that breaks
new ground in federal student aid policy. And they weren’t
finished yet; before leaving for the holiday vacation, lawmakers passed
a bill to help rebuild New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast,
including $200 million designated for colleges and universities. . .
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Excerpted from the winter 2006 issue of The
Presidency. To subscribe to the magazine, please call (301) 632-6757,
or order online through ACE’s
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