Timothy H. Bishop: “almost 3 months ago to the day, I stood in this exact spot and spoke on the extension to the Higher Education Act, as I…”

“almost 3 months ago to the day, I stood in this exact spot and spoke on the extension to the Higher Education Act, as I have done for each of the past four extensions, each time hoping it would be the last short-term measure we needed to pass before we finally produce an improved, bipartisan, and long-overdue reauthorization bill that reflects the best interests of America's college students and the families who support them. I now rise with a different hope, and an even stronger conviction. It is now my hope that the current flawed version of the Higher Education Act reauthorization passed by the House never takes on the force of law and that during the next session of Congress, under a new majority, we can again address the Higher Ed Act and truly make it about increasing access and affordability. Recently, Secretary Spellings' Commission on the Future of Higher Education released its final report on the status of postsecondary education. That report highlighted the dire need for increased Federal aid in the form of Pell Grants.”