House Passes Stimulus Bill; Now for the Great Senate Debate

The Christian Science Monitor, which by the way is now a Web-only newspaper, often does a good job of covering issues in ways that other periodicals might not, so we often look for information there. This article by Gail Russell Chaddock takes a look at the forhtcoming Senate debate:

With the biggest spending bill in American history on the line, the US Senate is gearing up for a debate for the ages.

With Republicans at 41 in the 100-member Senate – precisely the number they need to block legislation with a filibuster – Democrats could muscle the bill over the line by breaking off just one or two Republican votes.

Instead, President Obama is putting on a full-court press for a bigger, bipartisan vote to signal change in Washington. That means a more open process, including a full debate.

“I hope I communicated a sincere desire to get good ideas from everybody,” said Mr. Obama, after meeting separately with House and Senate Republicans on Tuesday.

“My attitude is, this is the first major piece of legislation we’ve worked on and that over time, some of these habits of consultation and mutual respect will take over, but old habits die hard.”

In contrast to the House, where Republicans complain that the $819 billion economic recovery package has been drafted without their input, the Senate is ramping up for a more open process. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed on Wednesday by a vote of 244 to 188, with no Republican support. Eight Democrats voted with 177 Republicans to oppose the bill.

Stimulus Plan Would Provide Flood of Aid to Education

Sam Dillon wrote this article for The New York Times, which also has a special "Times Topics" Web section on the stimulus package.

The economic stimulus plan that Congress has scheduled for a vote on Wednesday would shower the nation’s school districts, child care centers and university campuses with $150 billion in new federal spending, a vast two-year investment that would more than double the Department of Education’s current budget.

The proposed emergency expenditures on nearly every realm of education, including school renovation, special education, Head Start and grants to needy college students, would amount to the largest increase in federal aid since Washington began to spend significantly on education after World War II.

HR1 - The Stimulus Package - Download the Whole Thing

You can download a PDF of the House Bill 1 (the stimulus package) here (PDF). The higher education portion begins on page 180 and is section 9302, "Higher Education Modernization, Renovation, and Repair."

Clearinghouse Website: Federal Funding Stimulus for School Facilities

SCUPer Judy Marks, who is the associate director of the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF), made a point of letting us know about that organizations newest addition to its vast collection of educational facilities-related annotated bibliographies:

The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities has just added a new webpage, Federal Funding Stimulus for School Facilities, to the NCEF website.

The first webpage section, "Status of the School Funding Stimulus," describes the school-related elements of the January 15th draft House bill. This section will be continually updated as the house and senate bills proceed through Congress.

The second section, "What You Can Do Now," provides advice on the most effective way of spending the stimulus funds. We will be adding much more to this section over the next week.

There are four additional sections, "Funding Stimulus News," "Related Events," "Recent Journal Articles," and "Related NCEF Resource Lists." We will continually add information to these.

Anticipating Stimulus Money for Campus Projects, Colleges Get 'Shovel Ready'

Scott Carlson, of The Chronicle of Higher Education, recently wrote a must-read article about the stimulus package, and he's arranged for SCUPers to have an unprotected link to read it. Thanks, Scott.

The billions of dollars in the bill before Congress would be distributed through the Department of Energy and through state higher-education agencies, in the form of grants and loans. Of the $7-billion, at least $2.5-billion would go toward energy-efficiency projects certified by programs like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. (The legislation also includes $500-million for training in green jobs.)

In awarding the money to institutions, the bill's language specifies, state higher-education agencies should give preference to colleges that serve large numbers of minority students, have been hit by a natural disaster, or are planning energy-efficiency projects. The money should not go to new construction, sports facilities, or facilities used for religious worship or divinity schools.

The language or the amounts in the bill could change as Congress debates the stimulus measure, which legislators are expected to make final within the next few weeks. For now, colleges are preparing lists of projects that are "shovel ready," should the money roll down from Washington. The bill includes "use it or lose it" requirements: At least half of the money would have to be spent within a year of the measure's being enacted, and the rest within two years.