Eliot Engel: “I am rising today to clarify an amendment offered by Representative Carolyn McCarthy and myself that was included in the…”

“I am rising today to clarify an amendment offered by Representative Carolyn McCarthy and myself that was included in the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. The amendment added $100,000 to the Department of Education's Program Administration account so that the Department can expand its web site to include information for all public and private scholarship and financial aid programs. It is my understanding that the committee report includes explicit language stating that the conferees have agreed that the funds are specifically included to enable the Department to expand its web site to provide this information, pursuant to Section 409A(1) of the Higher Education Act. This provision states that the Department of Education shall award a contract to maintain a computerized database of all private and public student financial assistance programs. Our amendment is geared to help the Department fulfill this goal. I thank the Committee chairmen and staff for working with us on this matter to help ensure that the Department will receive the funding it needs for this important project.”