House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bipartisan negotiators from the House and Senate met this evening to finalize long-awaited legislation to reform federal higher education programs, bringing Congress one step closer to enacting the first comprehensive renewal of the Higher Education Act in a decade. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), the senior Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee and principal author of provisions to make college more affordable, issued the following statement:

“For too many years, students and families have been struggling to achieve their higher education goals because of skyrocketing tuition and fees.  Families, states, and the federal government are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in higher education each year, but tuition continues to rise and the dream of a college education is pushed further out of reach for too many Americans.  Our country is facing a college cost crisis.

“This evening, with final agreement among negotiators on this higher education reform package, we will finally begin to reverse that trend.  The Higher Education Opportunity Act includes powerful new tools to shine a spotlight on college costs, holding schools accountable for driving up prices while also recognizing those institutions at the forefront of college access and affordability.

“The bill recognizes the remarkable power of sunshine and transparency to empower consumers and create higher education system that will continue to be the best in the world.  This reauthorization has been five years in the making, and for students and families, it’s coming not a moment too soon.  I look forward to swift passage of this agreement in the House and Senate so that we can send it to the President for his signature.”

A copy of Rep. McKeon’s remarks delivered during this evening’s conference meeting can be found on the Education and Labor Committee Republican website by clicking here.

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