Education Committee Republicans Highlight

Benefits for Gulf Coast Schools in

House Emergency Spending Measure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. House Education & the Workforce Committee Republicans today highlighted benefits for Gulf Coast schools included in an emergency supplemental appropriations conference report (H.R. 4939), which was approved by the House.  The Senate is expected to send the legislation to President Bush later this week.

Included in the conference report was language approved by the House last month under the Hurricane Relief Extension Act (H.R. 5354), which was sponsored by Committee Member Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA).  The measure will extend the period of time that states and local school districts have to spend funds made available under last year’s hurricane relief legislation.

“Students and teachers in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf Coast have endured tremendous sacrifices in order to recover from last year’s hurricanes,” said Boustany.  “They deserve every available resource that Congress approved at the end of last year, and I am very pleased that the final emergency supplemental conference report includes this language.  The duty now falls on states in the Gulf Coast to expedite this critical funding as soon as possible.”

The emergency appropriations measure also will provide $235 million in additional assistance for displaced grade school and high school students for the 2005-2006 school year.  Moreover, the conference report includes $50 million in grant aid for institutions of higher education to defray the expenses incurred as a result of the hurricanes and would make it easier for impacted Gulf Coast Historically Black Colleges and Universities to get low interest loans that they can use for reconstruction.

"This legislation will provide Louisiana with the funding necessary to continue to rebuild and revitalize the areas of our state that were devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita including the schools and students most affected," noted Committee Member Bobby Jindal (R-LA).  "My hope is that the state will use this money to get students back in classrooms so that we can make sure that every displaced student has every opportunity to learn and succeed despite these tragedies."

House passage of the measure follows an Education & the Workforce Committee hearing held in April, during which Gulf Coast educators shared success stories and continuing difficulties experienced by schools in the region.  Some witnesses cited examples of funds being held up at the state level, despite the federal disbursement taking place months earlier.  At the hearing, Committee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) joined Boustany and Jindal in urging a greater effort to minimize state-level bureaucracy in the distribution of federal funding.

“We need to find ways to ensure bureaucracy remains apart from the education recovery process as much as possible,” concluded McKeon.  “Coupled with key resources adopted under today’s emergency appropriations measure, the correct approach to rebuilding Gulf Coast education is to focus on speed, efficiency, and less – not more – layers of bureaucracy.” 

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