Boehner Sends Savings Package, Education Relief Proposal to Budget Committee 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. House Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH) today announced the panel had met its instruction to achieve net savings of $18.1 billion as part of the budget reconciliation process.  The Committee’s reform package includes funds targeted to provide education relief to the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  The Committee yesterday narrowly failed to report a plan to offer hurricane relief through reimbursement accounts to speed assistance for students and schools; the plan remains a part of the budget package Boehner will present to the Budget Committee.  Boehner issued the following statement:

“It is an outrage that House Democrats and the education establishment would stand in the way of meaningful relief for the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  The goal of our proposal was to provide reimbursement to schools in the simplest and most efficient way possible in this time of national emergency.  Is providing these funds through the layers upon layers of education bureaucracy the best way to achieve this goal?  Of course not.  I strongly believe this proposal is the simplest, most direct means to provide relief to schools on behalf of affected students and families, and that’s why it will be presented to the Budget Committee as part of the reconciliation package.”

“The Committee has done its part in the reconciliation process, generating savings on behalf of taxpayers and making funds available for critical education assistance.  We’ve done so while achieving our policy goals of expanding college access for low- and middle-income students and strengthening our worker pension system.  I’m proud that our Committee put forward a fiscally responsible package of reforms that reduce program waste and inefficiency and place higher education and pension systems on more stable financial foundations to ensure their long-term viability for students, workers, retirees, and taxpayers.  And our efforts to provide education relief on behalf of impacted students and families will continue.” 

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