[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 167 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5968-S5974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Feinstein, and Ms.
Cortez Masto):
S. 2659. A bill to address the needs of workers in industries likely
to be impacted by rapidly evolving technologies; to the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2659
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Investing in Tomorrow's
Workforce Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) In 2014, the United States spent just 0.1 percent of
the Nation's Gross Domestic Product on labor market policies,
less than half of what the United States spent on labor
market policies 30 years ago.
(2) The number of workers receiving federally supported
training has declined in the past 3 decades as advances in
technology have simultaneously shifted labor market demand
over time.
(3) As much as 47 percent of all jobs in the United States
are at risk of being replaced by automation technology, and
job losses from automation are more likely to impact workers
making less than $40,000 annually.
(4) Strong Federal investment in expanding training
services for workers whose jobs may be lost due to automation
could prepare the United States workforce to better adapt to
changes in the labor market and enter into skilled positions
in technologically-oriented occupations and industries.
(5) A focus on preparing the workforce of the United States
for jobs that utilize advanced technologies could grow wages,
increase economic productivity, and boost the competitiveness
of the United States.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Automation.--The term ``automation'' means a device,
process, or system that functions without continuous input
from an operator, including--
(A) advanced technologies, such as--
(i) data collection, classification processing, and
analytics; and
(ii) 3-D printing, digital design and simulation, and
digital manufacturing;
(B) robotics, including collaborative robotics, and worker
augmentation technology;
(C) autonomous vehicle technology; or
(D) autonomous machinery technology.
(2) Dislocated worker.--The term ``dislocated worker'' has
the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(3) In-demand industry sector or occupation.--The term
``in-demand industry sector or occupation'' has the meaning
given the term in section 3 of that Act.
(4) Integrated education and training.--The term
``integrated education and training'' has the meaning given
the term in section 203 of that Act (29 U.S.C. 3272).
(5) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible
partnership'' means an industry or sector partnership, as
defined in section 3 of that Act, except that--
(A) for purposes of applying paragraph (26)(A)(iii) of that
section, the term ``institution of higher education'' has the
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); and
(B) the partnership shall include, in addition to the
representatives described in clauses (i) through (iii) of
paragraph (26)(A) of that section, representatives of--
(i) a State workforce development board or a local
workforce development board; and
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(ii) an economic development organization.
(6) Local and state workforce development boards.--The
terms ``local workforce development board'' and ``State
workforce development board'' have the meanings given the
terms ``local board'' and ``State board'', respectively, in
section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29
U.S.C. 3102).
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Labor.
(8) Training services.--The term ``training services''
means training services described in section 134(c)(3)(D) of
that Act (29 U.S.C. 3174(c)(3)(D)).
SEC. 4. GAO STUDY ON BARRIERS TO AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR
RETRAINING WORKERS.
(a) Study.--
(1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United
States, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, shall
conduct a study of the barriers to providing, and
opportunities for improving, training for workers in
industries that have, or are likely to have, high rates of
job loss due to automation.
(2) Contents.--In conducting the study, the Comptroller
General shall study--
(A) considerations impacting, and strategies to improve
data collection with respect to, the workforce in industries
with high rates of job loss or a high likelihood of
automation in the United States, including considerations and
data collection strategies concerning--
(i) industries and occupations most likely to be impacted
by automation, including--
(I) the geographical location of those industries and
occupations;
(II) the annual average wages of those occupations; and
(III) demographic data on the race, gender, and age of
workers in those industries and occupations;
(ii) employer-based training practices in those industries
and occupations;
(iii) the frequency with which employers provide worker
training to address skills needs and react to changes in the
labor market;
(iv) projected job losses; and
(v) labor organization membership rates in those industries
and occupations;
(B) considerations impacting, and strategies to improve
data collection with respect to, the workforce in in-demand
industry sectors and occupations in the United States, such
as advanced manufacturing, information technology, and health
care, including considerations and data collection strategies
concerning--
(i) industry sectors and occupations that may emerge or
become in-demand industry sectors or occupations as a result
of automation, including--
(I) the geographical location of those industry sectors and
occupations;
(II) the average annual wages of those occupations; and
(III) demographic data on the race, gender, and age of
workers in those occupations;
(ii) the skills and education needed to fill the positions
in those industry sectors;
(iii) employer-based training practices in those industry
sectors;
(iv) projected job gains; and
(v) labor organization membership rates in those industries
and occupations;
(C) barriers to, and opportunities for, retraining workers
in industries that have a high likelihood of being impacted
by automation;
(D) the impact of the geographical location of workers and
their access to transportation on the ability of the workers
to access job training and related higher-skilled positions;
(E) the impact of workers' access to other benefits and
services, including child care, paid sick leave, paid family
and medical leave, or a retirement plan, on the ability of
the workers to access job training and related higher-skilled
positions; and
(F) how reduced Federal funding for job training programs
has impacted the ability of State and local governments,
employers, labor organizations, and communities to respond to
changes in the labor market, including rapidly evolving
technologies.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall prepare and submit to the Secretary of Labor and
the appropriate committees of Congress a report concerning
the results of the study.
SEC. 5. GRANTS TO IMPROVE TRAINING FOR WORKERS IMPACTED BY
AUTOMATION.
(a) Grants Authorized.--
(1) In general.--From the amounts appropriated under
subsection (g) and beginning not later than 1 year after
receiving the report by the Comptroller General of the United
States under section 4(b), the Secretary of Labor shall award
grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to
support demonstration and pilot projects relating to the
training needs of workers who are, or are likely to become,
dislocated workers as a result of automation.
(2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall be
for a period not to exceed 4 years.
(3) Use of report.--The Secretary shall use the report
prepared the Comptroller General under section 4(b) to inform
the grant program carried out under this section.
(b) Applications.--
(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an eligible partnership shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
and containing such information as the Secretary shall
reasonably require.
(2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph
(1) shall include a description of the demonstration or pilot
project to be completed with the grant funds, which
description shall include--
(A) a description of the members of the eligible
partnership who will be involved in the demonstration or
pilot program and the services each member will provide;
(B) a description of the training services that will be
available to individuals participating in the demonstration
or pilot project, which may include--
(i) a plan to train dislocated workers from industries
likely to be impacted by automation and transition the
workers into regionally in-demand industry sectors or
occupations; and
(ii) a plan to partner with local businesses to retrain,
upskill, and re-deploy workers within an industry as an
alternative to layoffs;
(C) a plan to provide workers with technology-based skills
training, which may include training to provide skills
related to coding, systems engineering, or information
technology security, in addition to other skills; and
(D) a description of the goals that the eligible
partnership intends to achieve to upskill workers and prepare
them for in-demand industry sectors or occupations.
(c) Priorities.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to--
(1) eligible partnerships that are located in an area with
a high concentration of--
(A) industries with a higher likelihood of being impacted
by automation; or
(B) industries included in in-demand industry sectors, as
determined under subparagraphs (A)(i) and (B) of section
3(23) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29
U.S.C. 3102(23));
(2) eligible partnerships--
(A) with a plan to provide incumbent worker training--
(i) to assist workers in obtaining the skills necessary to
retain employment or avert layoffs; or
(ii) that allows a worker working for an employer to
acquire new skills that allow the worker to obtain a higher-
skilled or higher-paid position with such employer; and
(B) that partner with local employers that intend to
backfill the pre-training positions of the incumbent workers
by hiring new workers to fill those positions;
(3) eligible partnerships that will provide workers with a
transportation stipend, paid sick leave, paid family and
medical leave, access to child care services, or other
employment benefits; or
(4) eligible partnerships with a plan to develop a shared
training curriculum that can be used across local and
regional networks of employers and training providers.
(d) Use of Funds.--An eligible partnership that receives a
grant under this section shall use the grant funds for 1 or
more of the following:
(1) Providing training services under the demonstration or
pilot project, which may include training services that
prepare workers for in-demand industry sectors or
occupations.
(2) Providing assistance for employers in developing a
staff position for an individual who will be responsible for
supporting training services provided under the grant.
(3) Purchasing equipment or technology necessary for
training services provided under paragraph (1).
(4) Providing job search and other transitional assistance
to workers in industries with high rates of job loss.
(5) Providing a training stipend to workers for training
services.
(6) Providing integrated education and training.
(e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after an eligible
partnership's completion of a demonstration or pilot project
supported under this section, the eligible partnership shall
prepare and submit to the Secretary a report regarding--
(1) the number of workers who received training services
through the demonstration or pilot project, disaggregated by
type of training service and the age, gender, and race of the
workers;
(2) the number of such workers who successfully
transitioned into a new position following completion of the
training services;
(3) the number of individuals who successfully transitioned
into an in-demand industry sector or occupation following
completion of the training services;
(4) annual earnings data for individuals who have completed
training services through the demonstration or pilot project;
(5) the percentage of individuals described in paragraph
(4) who are in education or training activities, or in
employment, during the second quarter after exit from the
training services;
(6) the percentage of individuals described in paragraph
(4) who are in education or training activities, or in
employment, during the fourth quarter after exit from the
training services; and
(7) any practices used by the partnership that should be
considered best practices with respect to training workers in
industries that have, or are expected to have, high rates of
job loss as a result of automation.
(f) General Requirements.--An eligible partnership that
receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds
in a manner
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that is consistent with the labor standards and protections
described in section 181 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3241) and nondiscrimination
provisions described in section 188 of such Act (29 U.S.C.
3248).
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may
be necessary for the first 5 full fiscal years after the date
of submittal of the report under section 4(b).
SEC. 6. EXPANSION OF WORKER TRAINING SERVICES.
(a) Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment and Training.--
Section 134(d)(1)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3174(d)(1)(A)) is amended--
(1) in clause (xi), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in clause (xii), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(xiii) training programs for individuals who are, or are
likely to become, dislocated workers as a result of
automation, including activities that prepare the individuals
for occupations in the technology sector.''.
(b) National Dislocated Worker Grants.--Section 170 of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3225) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by inserting ``advances in
automation technology,'' before ``plant closures,''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to any
funds reserved under section 132(a)(2)(A) to carry out this
section, there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this section $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020
through 2024.''.
______
By Mr. ALEXANDER (for himself and Mr. Jones):
S. 2667. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make it
easier to apply for Federal student aid, to make that aid predictable,
to amend the Federal Pell Grant program, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, the Senator from Alabama will be here
shortly. I will go ahead and make my remarks, and then he can add his.
I ask unanimous consent that I may be able to use a piece of
demonstrative evidence as a part of my remarks.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, about 20 million Americans know what
this is. This is the FAFSA. This is the form that about 20 million
Americans fill out every year in order to qualify for the Pell grant
and the student loan they might use to go to college--20 million
Americans.
About 400,000 Tennesseans fill this out every year, and what Senator
Jones and I propose to do is to reduce the 108 questions that are
filled out online to between 17 and 30 as a way of making it simpler
and easier for 20 million American families and their children to go to
college.
Last month, I received a letter from Janet who volunteers with low-
income students in Nashville and has seen the challenges students and
their families face to apply for college and financial aid.
She describes the FAFSA as ``being a huge impediment . . . to
students raised in poverty to even attend college.''
Janet continued, saying: ``But a few years ago, a different hurdle
became evident.'' She was referring to something called verification.
She told the story of an excellent student who began classes at
Middle Tennessee State University, but 6 weeks into her fall semester,
her FAFSA was flagged for verification--a complicated process that
stops Pell grant payments while a student and their families scramble
to submit their Federal tax information or prove they didn't have to
file taxes.
``Our student had to drop out of school as she lost funding,'' Janet
said. ``There has to be a better way.''
Well, today Senator Jones and I are suggesting a better way. We call
it the FAFSA Simplification Act, to give students a better, simpler way
to apply for financial aid.
Every year, nearly 20 million families, as I said, fill out the FAFSA
to apply for Federal student aid, including 400,000 families in
Tennessee.
A volunteer mentor with Tennessee Promise, which is our State's
program that provides 2 years of free community college, told me that
the FAFSA has a ``chilling effect'' on students and on parents.
Former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam told me that Tennessee has the
highest rate for filling out the FAFSA--more students fill it out than
in any other State by percentage--but it is still the single biggest
impediment to more students enrolling in Tennessee Promise, which gives
them a free community college tuition.
The FAFSA Simplification Act will make it easier for families to
apply for Federal student aid by doing three things.
First, it reduces the number of questions on the FAFSA from 108 to 17
to 30 questions.
Second, it will greatly reduce the need for the burdensome
verification I discussed, the process that caused Janet's student to
drop out of school.
East Tennessee State University said that one-third of its
applicants, approximately 10,000 students, are selected each year for
verification.
Third, this legislation will allow students to find out as early as
eighth grade how much Pell grant funding they may be eligible for so
students can start to plan for college sooner.
This result has been 5 years in the making.
In 2014, at a hearing before our Senate Education Committee,
witnesses testified that the vast majority of questions on the FAFSA
are unnecessary.
I asked if the four witnesses, who came from many different
directions, would each write a letter to the committee recommending how
they would simplify the FAFSA. The witnesses stopped for a moment, they
looked at one another, and said: We don't have to write you four
letters because we all agree on how to fix the FAFSA. We can write you
one letter, and they did.
So Senator Michael Bennet, a Democratic member who was on the
committee at the time, said: Well, if that is true and if there is that
much agreement, then why don't we do what you recommend?
I mean, how many times do we go home to Tennessee or Arizona and
Alabama and explain something and people say: Well, then why don't you
do it?
This is a case of, well, then why don't we do it, and Senator Jones
and I are here to ask that question and recommend that we do.
So we started talking with other Senators, students, college
administrators, other experts about how to simplify the FAFSA.
In 2015, Senator Bennet and I--now, listen to this list--along with
Senator Booker, Senator Burr, Senator King, Senators Enzi, Warner, and
Isakson, introduced bipartisan legislation that would reduce the number
of FAFSA questions to two questions.
After discussions with college administrators and States, we realized
we needed to keep some questions or States and schools would have to
create their own additional forms that students would need to fill out.
Over the last 4 years, we have improved that legislation. We now
believe that what Senator Jones and I are proposing will permit us to
move forward with bipartisan legislation that would reduce the FAFSA to
between 18 and 30 questions. That is the legislation we have introduced
today. This is one more step to make it easier for families to fill out
the FAFSA.
In President Obama's administration, with the encouragement of our
committee, families were allowed to use the tax information from the
previous year so they could apply to colleges in the fall rather than
have to wait until the spring.
Second, the Trump administration has put the FAFSA application on a
phone app. I was at Sevier County High School last November, and I saw
students zipping through the FAFSA on their iPhones.
Third, last year's Senate passed bipartisan legislation that Senator
Murray of Washington and I introduced that allows students to answer up
to 22 questions on the current FAFSA with just 1 click, and that will
stop requiring students to give the same information to the Federal
Government twice.
I can't tell you the number of parents and grandparents who said to
me: Why do I have to give the same information to the Federal
Government twice in order to apply for a student loan or a Pell grant?
The answer is, you shouldn't have to. This would dramatically
decrease the number of students selected for verification.
[[Page S5971]]
In conclusion, that third step, along with the bill Senator Jones and
I have introduced today, is part of the package I introduced last month
to permanently fund historically Black colleges and universities and
other minority-serving institutions, provide Pell grants for prisoners,
and allow Pell grants to be used for short-term programs.
This legislation, which includes our bill to simplify the FAFSA, can
and should pass the Senate and the House this year so it can be signed
into law by the President.
By reducing the number of questions on the FAFSA, reducing the need
for verification, and allowing students to learn earlier how much aid
they may qualify for, the FAFSA Simplification Act will make it simpler
and easier for students and families to apply for financial aid.
I have some statements of support which I would like to read into the
Record, but I will pause at this moment and give Senator Jones a chance
to speak, and then I will come back after he has finished and ask for
the floor and discuss these statements of support.
Mr. JONES. Madam President, first of all, I want to thank deeply my
colleague from Tennessee for the work he has done not just with me on
this bill but over the years.
This has been such an incredible work in progress, and I am
appreciative of all of that work that has gone on. I am honored today
to be part of this bill we are introducing that I believe is so
important to so many families around the country and particularly in
our States of Tennessee and Alabama.
Anyone who has applied to college or helped someone through the
process is all too familiar with that dreaded FAFSA form.
As a father with three kids who have gone off to college, I can tell
you it just doesn't get any easier. In fact, the free application for
Federal student aid hasn't gotten any easier for nearly the 30 years it
has been in existence.
Despite the headaches it can cause, it is so important for students
to fill out that FAFSA. It is so important for families to have that
FAFSA form. It is a key to accessing grants, scholarships, and loans
that can put a college education within reach.
Far too often, as Senator Alexander said, it can intimidate people
from even starting it. Also, once they get the letter asking for an
audit, they just stop.
Currently, the FAFSA is over 10 pages long. Often when I am back in
Alabama, I say it is almost like filling out tax returns for Apple
Computer or IBM or one of the big corporations. It has 108 questions.
That is why I have been very fortunate and honored to partner with
Senator Alexander to simplify this FAFSA form to between 17 to 30
questions.
As he said just a moment ago, this has been 5 years in the making,
but this is a first great step in this Congress to really have honed
this down over the years. We are now going to ease the burden. We are
going to reduce the number and ease the burden for verification and
make it easier for folks to start looking at it ahead of time.
I appreciate Senator Alexander's comments about the fact that this
ought to be able to be done this year. This bill is a wonderful first
step in a process that hopefully we can get across that finish line by
the end of the year.
Graduating with debt--especially significant debt--can force
graduates to put off other major life steps, like buying a house or a
car, having children, getting married, or investing in a business as an
entrepreneur. The burden of debt can literally change the course of a
young person's life and guide their decisions for decades.
Nationwide, only 62 percent of high school seniors completed the
FAFSA in 2018. Senator Alexander's State of Tennessee, along with
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Delaware, had the highest FAFSA completion
rate. Alabama ranked right in the middle, about 26th.
The site called NerdWallet--which I find to be a fascinating name for
a site--estimates that the high school class of 2018, across this
country, left $2.6 billion in Pell grants on the table--that is billion
with a B--$2.6 billion that was available to put kids through school,
and it was left on the table.
Form Your Future reports that students missed out on $24 billion in
total aid annually. It also reports that 92 percent of low-income
households will receive grants and 85 percent of students have a chance
to receive financial aid.
The Department of Education's Federal Student Aid staff shared that,
from October 1, 2018, through May 31 of 2019, there were nearly half a
million fewer total FAFSA submissions--not just high school seniors--in
the same timeframe the year before--a half a million fewer. I think
there is a reason for that. I think people start, they look at it, they
see the cumbersome nature of it, and they just walk away and do
something else.
In Alabama, high school seniors, according to the information I have,
left $57.5 million in grant monies on the table--grant monies, not loan
and debt, but grant monies on the table, $57 million, and only 49.9
percent of the State's seniors filled out the form.
Alabama students might be surprised to learn that they could be
eligible for Federal financial aid, including Pell grants that can
provide up to $6,100 a year. Not only does the FAFSA help identify what
Federal loans and grants a student could receive, but it can also lead
to college specific or Statewide scholarships.
The student loan debt that today's graduates face is profound.
According to The Institute for College Access and Success, college
student seniors who graduated in 2018 in my home State of Alabama's 4-
year public and private colleges had an average of just under $30,000
in student loan debt. It also found that more than half of our college
seniors are graduating with debt.
Simplifying this FAFSA form can get money in their hands. It can get
money that is badly needed. As I go around my State, I talk to people
all the time, and they know that not every kid is going to college, not
every kid needs a 4-year college degree to do well to become part of
that middle class. But for those who want to go, for those who have the
aptitude to go, for those who desire to go and get that 4-year or even
2-year college degree, college aid and financial aid is often vital.
Alabama is a relatively poor State. People want their kids to
succeed, and to do so often means a college degree. The bill that
Senator Alexander and I have filed today will help do just that.
I hope we can get this across the finish line. I believe it is going
to help millions and millions of kids, and I know it will help so many
families in my State and the great State of Tennessee.
I thank Senator Alexander for working with me on this. I look forward
to working with colleagues to get this across the finish line.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, Senator Jones made a very important
point, not only about Alabama, but really about every State.
The Pell grant that we are talking about is money you don't have to
pay back. This is not a student loan that you lay awake at night
worrying about.
Forty percent of our college students in this country go to community
colleges, 2-year colleges. The average tuition at community colleges in
America is $3,600. The average Pell grant is $3,600. Just those few
facts show that basically 40 percent of those who go to college in
America can go tuition-free or close to tuition-free because of the
availability of the Pell grant. Now, it is higher in some States and
lower in other States, but that is a fact. These are not loans that you
have to pay back. These are grants that basically say that, if you want
2 years of college past high school, you can have it.
In States like Tennessee and an increasing number of other States,
the State government is stepping up to say: Well, if the Pell grant
doesn't quite cover your tuition, we will cover the rest of it, so it
is tuition-free.
It is important for us to say to the American people--to parents,
grandparents, and students--that: If you want to go to college, you
can; and tuition is probably free or about free, but first, you have to
fill out this 108 question FAFSA. That is the problem.
A president of a community college in Memphis that has almost all
African-American students told me he
[[Page S5972]]
thinks he loses 1,500 students a semester because of the complexity of
the FAFSA. At the other end of the State, the President of East
Tennessee State University says that 10,000 of his students get their
classes interrupted by the so-called verification process. We would fix
almost all those problems with this bill.
I am glad that Senator Jones has stepped up and so many other
Senators are agreeable to this. I hope we can answer the question that
people ask me when I go home: Okay. Why don't you do it?
We should do it. We have been working on it for 5 years--whether it
is Senator Bennet who introduced the first bill with me and a number of
others or whether it is Senator Murray who introduced with me the bill
that passed the Senate last year that said that, in one click, you can
answer the tax questions and you don't have to give that information to
the government twice. We can do that this year, and 20 million American
families will be grateful.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that statements of support be
printed in the Record following my remarks.
I will just summarize some of them quickly.
Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student
Financial Aid Administrators, said: ``In short, this bill makes the
process of applying for student aid much easier for all students, but
the biggest positive impact will be for our nation's neediest
students.'' I would like to thank Justin and his association of
financial aid experts for working with us because the first bill we
introduced didn't take into consideration a number of points that it
should have. The administrators pointed them out to us, and so we
believe we have come up with a set of solutions that meets those needs
and has their support.
The National College Access Network Executive Director Kim Cook said:
``[Our organization] has long advocated for a streamlined FAFSA to
lessen one of the barriers faced by many first-generation students
going to college. By combining this simpler FAFSA with a Pell Grant
look-up table, we can show students, early in their decision-making
process, that there is money to help them complete college.''
Stacey Lightfoot testified before our committee. She is vice
president of college and career success at the Public Education
Foundation of Chattanooga: ``The FAFSA is even more complex for
families, especially those from underserved backgrounds, who get lost
answering over 100 questions on the form. [This] proposal to simplify
the FAFSA is long overdue and has been thoughtfully created to ensure
better access to college by eliminating unnecessary and irrelevant
questions. The new bill takes the most intimidating aspect of the
college process away from students.''
Why would we cause 20 million families to answer unnecessary and
intimidating questions, and discourage their students from going to
college? Why would we do that? We shouldn't.
Executive director of Alabama Possible, Kristina Scott, said: ``With
the FAFSA Simplification Act implementation of simple, clear Pell Grant
look up tables, we will be able to talk with students beginning in
middle school about what aid for which they should be eligible and how
to access it by completing a shorter, simplified FAFSA. These two
changes can shift the conversation about postsecondary education from
`if' to `when' for low-income and first-generation college-going
students and their families.''
How many times do we hear it said that--particularly in low-income
families--parents, grandparents, and others discourage the students
from going to college because they are afraid it will mean a lot of
debt that they will never be able to pay back. They can't imagine how
they can handle this. This bill and all that goes with it will allow
conversations to begin with middle school students, including low-
income students, and say: You may be in the eighth grade or the seventh
grade or a freshman in high school, but you can begin thinking now
about at least 2 more years of college after high school that are
essentially tuition free, and it is simple to do because of the simpler
FAFSA.
Mike Krause, director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission,
said: ``For Tennessee, the complexity of the FAFSA presents a barrier
for students attempting to enroll in Tennessee Promise, Tennessee
Reconnect, and other financial aid programs like the HOPE Access Grant.
. . . Simplifying the FAFSA would improve college access for students
in Tennessee by allowing the federal government and our state to better
target financial aid to the neediest students.''
Now, what he is saying is that this complicated form is a barrier to
free college for students of all ages in Tennessee. They have to fill
this out first. If they are discouraged from doing it, they don't go to
college.
Barbara Duffield, executive director of School House Connection,
which helps homeless and foster care children, had this to say: ``The
FAFSA Simplification Act removes barriers to financial aid for some of
our Nation's most vulnerable youth--those who experience homelessness
or foster care.''
This has been a good exercise in the United States Senate. We have
had testimony before our committee. Our witnesses told us what to do.
Senator Bennet and I, and a group of others who were on the committee
at that time, said: Okay. Let's do it.
We got advice from the financial aid officers who said: Wait a
minute. You didn't think about this and that. For example, if you cut
it down to two questions, then Arizona and Tennessee are going to have
to ask more questions in order to do the State grant programs that they
have. So we recognized that, and we adjusted our position. Then Senator
Jones, who is a new member of our committee, stepped up and said he
wanted to be a part of it, so now, we are ready to go.
Chairman Bobby Scott, chairman of the House Education Committee,
introduced a bill that would simplify the FAFSA just last week. It is
not the same as our bill, but it heads in the same direction.
I think every single Member of this body wants to help students,
especially low-income students, have an opportunity to attend college
if they want to. We have everything in place for them to do it, yet we
have created this single barrier--this 108-question form--with
unnecessary, needless questions and a verification process in the
middle of the semester that would yank your money and cause you to drop
out of school. We can change that this year. If we will do it, we have
bipartisan support in the Senate, and the President will sign it. I
hope it is law by the beginning of next year.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
State of Tennessee, Higher Education Commission, Student
Assistance Corporation,
Nashville, TN, October 21, 2019.
Hon. Lamar Alexander,
Chairman, Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
Committee.
Hon. Doug Jones,
Member, Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee.
Dear Chairman Alexander and Senator Jones: The Tennessee
Higher Education Commission and Tennessee Student Assistance
Corporation write to express appreciation and strong support
for the FAFSA Simplification Act of 2019.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the
way nearly 20 million Americans access federal, state, and
institution based financial aid to attend college each year.
However, the complexity of the form and chilling effect of
the verification process is one of the biggest barriers for
our most vulnerable students to enter a postsecondary
institution.
For Tennessee, the complexity of the FAFSA presents a
barrier for students attempting to enroll in Tennessee
Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, and other financial aid
programs like the HOPE Access Grant. In the 2018-19 school
year, over 400,000 Tennesseans submitted a FAFSA, and that
information was the cornerstone to access both state and
federal aid. Simplifying the FAFSA would improve college
access for students in Tennessee by allowing the federal
government and our state to better target financial aid to
the neediest students. In particular, Tennessee sees great
value for our State in the FAFSA Simplification Act based on
four key aspects:
1. Statewide efforts to promote FAFSA completion and
college enrollment thrive on simple messages. The new simple
Pell Grant formula will allow statewide college access
messaging campaigns to inform students and families about how
much Pell Grant they will likely be eligible to receive based
on a table or simple calculator.
2. Tennessee and its public institutions depend on the
Needs Analysis formula to annually award over $400 million in
State appropriated student financial aid. By continuing the
availability of this calculation and most
[[Page S5973]]
of the variables behind it, our State will have the to
continue awarding state and institutional aid without
disruption.
3. FAFSA filing can quickly become challenging for
applicants when sorting through difficult financial
questions. By relying on tax information the federal
government already has on file, students and families do not
have to find additional information and are unlikely to be
selected for burdensome verification processes.
4. The flexibility provided to financial aid
administrators regarding professional judgement and
applicants to file provisionally independent will be
transformative for our State's most vulnerable students.
Thank you both for your strong commitment to this issue. It
is important to enact this reform which will help us reach
our State's goals.
Sincerely,
Mike Krause.
____
Support Statements
Justin Dragger, president of the National Association of
Student Financial Aid Administrators said: ``In short, this
bill makes the process of applying for student aid much
easier for all students, but the biggest positive impact will
be for our nation's neediest students.''
National College Access Network Executive Director Kim Cook
said: ``NCAN has long advocated for a streamlined FAFSA to
lessen one of the barriers faced by many first-generation
students going to college. By combining this simpler FAFSA
with a Pell Grant look-up table, we can show students, early
in their decision-making process, that there is money to help
them complete college.''
Stacy Lightfoot, vice president of college and career
success at the Public Education Foundation of Chattanooga-
Hamilton County, said: ``The FAFSA is even more complex for
families, especially those from underserved backgrounds, who
get lost answering over 100 questions on the form. [This]
proposal to simplify the FAFSA is long overdue and has been
thoughtfully created to ensure better access to college by
eliminating unnecessary and irrelevant questions. The new
bill takes the most intimidating aspect of the college
process away for students.''
Executive director of Alabama Possible, Kristina Scott,
said: ``With the FAFSA Simplification Act implementation of
simple, clear Pell Grant look up tables, we will be able to
talk with students beginning in middle school about what aid
for which they should be eligible and how to access it by
completing a shorter, simplified FAFSA. These two changes can
shift the conversation about postsecondary education from
`if' to `when' for low-income and first-generation college-
going students and their families.''
Mike Krause, director of the Tennessee Higher Education
Commission: ``For Tennessee, the complexity of the FAFSA
presents a barrier for students attempting to enroll in
Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, and other financial
aid programs like the HOPE Access Grant . . . Simplifying the
FAFSA would improve college access for students in Tennessee
by allowing the federal government and our state to better
target financial aid to the neediest students.''
Barbara Duffield, Executive Director of School House
Connection, said: ``The FAFSA Simplification Act removes
barriers to financial aid for some of our nation's most
vulnerable youth--those who experience homelessness or foster
care.''
____
NASFAA, National College Access Network Release Statement of Support
for Bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act
Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.)
today introduced the FAFSA Simplification Act of 2019, a bill
that would create a streamlined financial aid application
process, while still giving schools, states, and scholarship
providers enough information to offer financial aid to
today's diverse college-going population. Under this
proposal, all students would be able to determine their Pell
Grant eligibility through Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and
household size.
For far too long, thousands of students who have every
intention of attending college never enroll, or end up
leaving millions of financial aid dollars on the table--
including $2.3 billion in Pell Grant dollars annually--in
large part due to the overly complex nature of applying for
and receiving federal financial aid. While we have made
significant progress toward simplifying the process in recent
years--through the addition of skip logic to the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and allowing some
income data to be imported via the Internal Revenue Service's
Data Retrieval Tool, for example--we can do better.
The FAFSA Simplification Act would significantly reduce the
number of questions on the FAFSA--including irrelevant and
unnecessary questions, such as the Selective Service and drug
offense-related questions--and require students to only
answer questions based on their family income.
``Taking into account feedback from financial aid
professionals nationwide, this bill takes a commonsense
approach to shorten the FAFSA application to an extent that
would not deprive institutions of crucial information needed
to appropriately disburse billions of dollars of financial
aid to eligible students,'' said NASFAA President Justin
Draeger. ``In short, this bill makes the process of applying
for student aid much easier for all students, but the biggest
positive impact will be for our nation's neediest students.''
``NCAN has long advocated for a streamlined FAFSA to lessen
one of the barriers faced by many first-generation students
going to college. By combining this simpler FAFSA with a Pell
Grant look-up table, we can show students, early in their
decision-making process, that there is money to help them
complete college,'' said NCAN Executive Director Kim Cook.
``We thank Senators Alexander and Jones for championing this
issue and the students we serve.''
A few NASFAA and NCAN members also weighed in on the bill
and what it would mean for students:
``Legislation that makes the process for accessing
financial aid simpler for our students and families is a
win,'' said Brenda Hicks, director of financial aid at
Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. ``Condensing
eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant to a look-up table
places pivotal information directly in students' hands in a
concise and accessible way. This kind of knowledge could make
the difference between a student who feels a college
education is out of reach financially and a student who
suddenly has hope for their future.''
``One of the biggest reasons students and families don't
complete the FAFSA is that they don't think they will be
eligible for any financial aid. This is true even for Pell-
eligible families,'' said Kristina Scott, executive director
of Alabama Possible. ``With the FAFSA Simplification Act
implementation of simple, clear Pell Grant look up tables, we
will be able to talk with students beginning in middle school
about what aid for which they should be eligible and how to
access it by completing a shorter, simplified FAFSA. These
two changes can shift the conversation about postsecondary
education from `if' to `when' for low-income and first-
generation college-going students and their families.''
``FAFSA simplification is an important step in the right
direction to make the financial aid process more transparent
for students and their families,'' said Lori Vedder, director
of the office of financial aid at the University of Michigan-
Flint. ``Allowing our neediest students to avoid answering
unnecessary questions when applying for financial aid would
remove barriers that often keep many students from
matriculating. Having an earlier and upfront indication of
their eligibility to receive crucial need-based aid, such as
the federal Pell Grant, will help these students realize they
have the ability to attend and afford college.''
``Completing the FAFSA, for as long as I can remember, is a
daunting process--one that my mother needed help with over 20
years ago for my sister and me,'' shared Stacy Lightfoot,
vice president of college and career success at the Public
Education Foundation of Chattanooga-Hamilton County. ``Now,
the FAFSA is even more complex for families, especially those
from underserved backgrounds, who get lost answering over 100
questions on the form. Senator Alexander's proposal to
simplify the FAFSA is long overdue and has been thoughtfully
created to ensure better access to college by eliminating
unnecessary and irrelevant questions. The new bill takes the
most intimidating aspect of the college process away for
students.''
NASFAA and NCAN look forward to working with lawmakers as
this bill moves through the legislative process. To request
an interview with a NASFAA spokesperson, please email
Director of Communications Erin Powers or call (202) 785-
6959. To request an interview with an NCAN spokesperson,
please email Communications Manager Kelly Mae Ross or call
(202) 347-4848 x210.
About NCAN
The mission of the National College Access Network is to
build, strengthen, and empower communities and stakeholders
to close equity gaps in postsecondary attainment for all
students. Based in Washington, D.C., NCAN is a nonprofit
membership organization serving over 500 members that touch
the lives of more than 2 million students each year. Our
members include college access programs, school districts,
institutions of higher education, and other nonprofits that
are committed to the vision that all students have an
equitable opportunity to achieve social and economic mobility
through higher education. For more information, please visit
www.collegeaccess.org.
About NASFAA
The National Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit membership
organization that represents more than 28,000 financial aid
professionals at nearly 3,000 colleges, universities, and
career schools across the country. NASFAA member institutions
serve nine out of every 10 undergraduates in the United
States. Based in Washington, D.C., NASFAA is the only
national association with a primary focus on student aid
legislation, regulatory analysis, and training for financial
aid administrators. For more information, visit
www.nasfaa.org.
______
By Mr. McCONNELL (for himself, Mr. Burr, Mr. Graham, Mr. Inhofe,
Mr. Risch, Ms. Collins, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Isakson,
Mrs. Blackburn, Ms. McSally, Mr. Blunt, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Cruz,
and Mr. Wicker):
S.J. Res. 59. A joint resolution expressing the sense of Congress on
the precipitous withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Syria and
[[Page S5974]]
Afghanistan, and Turkey's unprovoked incursion into Syria; read the
first time.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text
of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S.J. Res. 59
Whereas the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham, better known
by its acronym ISIS, flourished in the chaos unleashed by the
civil war in Syria and at one point controlled extensive
territory in Iraq and Syria;
Whereas ISIS murdered thousands of innocent civilians,
including Americans, and sought to ethnically cleanse the
territory it controlled of religious minorities;
Whereas the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which is
composed of Kurdish and Arab fighters, remains an essential
United States partner in the successful campaign to destroy
ISIS' so-called ``caliphate'';
Whereas, backed by the United States and United States
allies, the Syrian Democratic Forces liberated millions of
Syrians from ISIS' terrorist regime, and sustained
approximately 11,000 casualties in the fight;
Whereas ISIS, al Qaeda, and their affiliates have proven
resilient and have regrouped when the United States and its
partners have withdrawn from the fight against them;
Whereas Turkey's unprovoked incursion into northeastern
Syria, which began on October 9, 2019, has displaced more
than 166,000 civilians, according to the United Nations High
Commissioner on Refugees, and dozens of civilians have been
killed on both sides;
Whereas, as a result of Turkey's incursion into
northeastern Syria and the withdrawal of United States Armed
Forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces have turned to Russia
and the brutal Assad regime for support, while more than a
hundred ISIS-affiliated detainees have escaped from detention
facilities; and
Whereas the Assad regime is responsible for murdering at
least 500,000 civilians and displacing at least 12,000,000
Syrians, or roughly half the country's population at the time
that the civil war began in 2011, and the regime's return to
northeastern Syria through its new partnership with the
Syrian Democratic Forces will allow the regime to extend its
murderous campaign and again subjugate the Kurdish, Sunni
Arab, and religious minorities of northeastern Syria: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That
Congress--
(1) condemns in the strongest terms the Government of
Turkey's escalating hostilities against Kurdish partners of
the United States in Syria, while recognizing the Government
of Turkey's legitimate humanitarian, economic, and security
concerns emanating from the conflict in Syria;
(2) calls upon the United States Government to pressure the
Government of Turkey, including through sanctions, to act
with restraint, provide accountability for human rights
abuses conducted by militias acting in support of Turkish
military operations, and curtail its hostilities against
United States partner forces in Syria;
(3) reiterates United States opposition to the forced
repatriation of refugees from third countries into Syria, and
calls upon all refugee returns to be safe, dignified, and
voluntary;
(4) urges the President to rescind his invitation to the
White House to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan until a
more enduring cease-fire has been established between Turkish
and Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria;
(5) calls upon the United States Government to continue
supporting liberated Syrian Kurdish and Arab communities in
northeast Syria through humanitarian support, including those
displaced or otherwise affected by ongoing violence in Syria,
and calls upon other nations to increase support to
stabilization efforts in northeastern Syria;
(6) strongly opposes any abandonment of our Kurdish and
Arab partners in Syria;
(7) calls for a halt to the withdrawal of United States
Armed Forces from Syria where practical, and calls for the
continued use of air power to target ISIS and provide
protection of ethnic and religious minorities in northeastern
Syria;
(8) expresses support for a continued United States
military presence in Iraq, along with efforts to help Iraqi
forces control their border, protect their sovereignty, and
counter ISIS;
(9) recognizes the continuing threat to United States and
United States allies posed by al Qaeda and ISIS, which
maintain an ability to operate in Syria and Afghanistan;
(10) warns that a precipitous withdrawal of United States
forces from the ongoing fight against these groups, without
effective, countervailing efforts to secure gains in Syria
and Afghanistan, could allow terrorists to regroup,
destabilize critical regions, and create vacuums that could
be filled by Iran or Russia, to the detriment of United
States interests and those of our allies;
(11) recognizes that an unbroken chain of Iranian-
controlled territory across Syria poses a significant threat
to Israel;
(12) reiterates support for international diplomatic
efforts to facilitate peaceful, negotiated resolutions to the
ongoing conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan on terms that
respect the rights of innocent civilians and deny safe havens
to terrorists;
(13) encourages close collaboration between the executive
branch and the legislative branch to ensure continuing
strong, bipartisan support for United States military
operations in Syria and Afghanistan; and
(14) calls upon the President to certify whether conditions
have been met for the enduring defeat of al Qaeda and ISIS
before initiating any further significant withdrawal of
United States forces from the region.
____________________