Legislation to End the High School Dropout Crisis
Graduation for All Act will help turn around “dropout factories” and rebuild U.S. competitiveness
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democratic lawmakers announced today they will introduce critical legislation to address the high school dropout crisis, which poses a growing threat to the nation’s economic stability and global competitiveness. Nearly one-third of all high school students do not to graduate every year, costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars in lost revenue.
Nationwide, about 7,000 high school students drop out every day. Only about 70 percent of students now graduate from high school with a regular diploma. There are 2,000 “dropout factories” across the country, which produce more than 50 percent of the nation’s dropouts, and a recent study suggests that in the 50 largest U.S. cities, only 53 percent of students graduate on time. Poor and minority children disproportionately attend these dropout factories, and graduation rates for African American, Hispanic, and Native American students are significantly lower than those of their white peers. In addition, only 56 percent of all students with disabilities earn diplomas each year.
The Graduation for All Act would help end this crisis by providing eligible school districts with competitive grants to help turn around their lowest-performing high schools, often deemed “dropout factories,” as well as struggling, feeder middle schools. In order to be eligible to receive a grant, a district must first identify schools most in need of comprehensive reform, determine a strategy for turning around each school, and form a team of experts and community leaders, called a Graduation Improvement Team, to help carry out these turnaround strategies. Districts receiving grants would be required to implement data systems to help better detect early warning signs of dropout behavior (such as frequent absences or failing a course), use appropriate interventions targeted to student needs and monitor the impact of interventions so that they can be refined as necessary. Research shows identifying and addressing these patterns early on can help keep at-risk students in school.
More information on the Graduation for All legislation.
“We are failing our students, failing our communities and failing our nation if we allow this dropout crisis to continue,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “Ending this epidemic is a civil rights imperative, a moral issue and an economic necessity. This bill says that it is no longer acceptable to let an at-risk student fall through the cracks and empowers schools to make the changes needed to help at-risk students thrive in school, earn a diploma and go on to college or a good job.”
“We must stop the everyday dropout rate of thousands of students from our middle schools and high schools. In particular we must address the problems encountered by so many minority students who are at a higher risk of dropping out of school. “The Graduation for All Act of 2009 builds on ‘The Graduation Promise Act’ which directly addresses our nation’s dropout crisis,” said U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX), Chairman of Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness. “I continue to work with Chairman George Miller and other Members of Congress on the Education and Labor Committee on legislation to address our nation’s dropout problem. The only way for the United States to be a world class contender in the global market is to ensure that all of our children stay in school and graduate not only high school, but college as well. We are working together to make that happen.”
“I am extremely proud to join with my colleagues to introduce the Graduation for All Act. This legislation includes provisions from my legislation, the Fast Track to College Act, which makes important investments in early college high school partnerships and dual enrollment programs,” said U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education. “These programs enable students, especially those underrepresented in postsecondary education, to earn an associate’s degree or up to two years of transferrable college credits at no cost to their families, while still in high school. These programs have a proven track record of reducing dropout rates, keeping students engaged, and providing a seamless transition to college.”
“The dropout rate has reached epic proportions in minority communities,” said U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL). “Only 48% of African American males and 58% of Latino males graduate from high school. The social, economic and human costs are horrific. This bill will meaningfully advance efforts to identify and help individual youth at risk for dropping out early on and we know that early identification and intervention significantly reduces the dropout rate and significantly increases the graduation rate.”
“One of the most important aspects of this legislation is that it provides students in high-need schools with rigorous curricula and the teacher support to master college-ready courses.” said U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA), architect of the nationally acclaimed college access program GEAR UP. “Students will be given information about the college admission process and financial aid opportunities keys to encouraging students to keep their focus on a college education. We have learned through GEAR UP that increasing academic rigor, demystifying the college and financial aid application processes, and focusing on post-secondary education dramatically increases high school graduation rates. This bill builds on that experience and I am proud to have contributed to its development.”
“This bill not only makes a strong financial commitment to ending our nation’s school dropout crisis, it puts the right programs in place to encourage greater college enrollment and improve educational opportunity at many age levels,” said U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ). “No cause could be more important than educating American students, and this bill gives timely and needed support to struggling middle schools and high schools around the country to make that goal achievable.”
“I applaud Chairman Miller and my colleagues for moving forward on this vital issue, ” said U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA). “This is a significant step forward in our fight to address the drop out dilemma. Recent research has shown that nearly 600,000 students dropped out of the high school class of 2008 in the nation's fifty largest cities and the surrounding areas. We must do more to stem this tide and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to bring support to Iowa and states across America.”
“This legislation will make a strong investment in education, intervention services and resources that are critical to addressing the dropout crisis and turning low performing schools into high achieving schools,” said U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA). “We must address these shortcomings that are persistent in our schools in order compete in today’s global economy with a highly skilled and educated workforce. I am pleased that this is one more step we are taking to improve the quality of education for all our children.”
The legislation also will help prepare students for college and careers by requiring schools to provide them with their financial aid options and other college-related information. This bill includes $150 million for Early College and dual enrollment programs to allow students to earn up to two years of college credit at no cost to the student, which would help decrease the overall cost of college for these students.
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House Makes History on Health Reform
House Makes History on Health Reform
For the first time in U.S. history, House votes to provide quality, affordable health insurance for all Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the first time in America’s history, all Americans will have access to quality, affordable health care under updated health insurance reform legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today. The legislation will cover 96 percent of Americans by 2015, while reducing the deficit by tens of billions of dollars over the next decade. The House approved the measure by a vote of 220 to 215.
The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), blends and revises the three versions of reform legislation passed by the House committees of jurisdiction in July. It embodies President Obama’s key goals for health reform. It will slow the growth in out-of-control health costs, and introduce competition into the health care marketplace to keep coverage affordable and insurers honest. Additionally, it will protect people’s choices of doctors and health plans, and assure all have Americans access to quality, stable, affordable health care.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the net cost of expanding coverage at $891 billion, consistent with the $900 billion coverage mark laid out by President Obama in September. The legislation will be fully paid for. CBO estimates the bill reduces the deficit by at least $30 billion over 10 years, not counting the additional deficit reduction generated by the CLASS Act.
“Tonight, for the first time in our nation’s history, the House voted to guarantee every American access to quality, affordable health insurance,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “Our bill embodies President Obama’s goals and reflects what we have heard from the American people. Because of this legislation, never again will Americans have to worry about losing their health care if they lose their job or get sick. For all of the great leaders before us who tried to get this done, and for all of the workers and families who will finally have greater health benefits and financial security because of this bill, tonight we made history.”
“God has been good to our country and this Congress and that means we have a responsibility to extend our power to make certain that every American has access to quality, affordable health care,” said U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “We are so proud of this bill because it will cover 96 percent of our nation and ensure that no one will be denied health care because they have a pre-existing condition, or lose their coverage because they lose their job. This is truly an historic effort to improve the health and well-being of our nation, create jobs and grow our economy.”
“Today is a historic moment for the House of Representatives.” said U.S. Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “It is a significant victory that the House has passed comprehensive health reform legislation for all Americans. This bill will at long last reform the health care system by expanding choices, reducing costs, and providing people with peace of mind about their health insurance.”
“With this historic vote, tens of millions of Americans are closer to getting health insurance. With this historic vote, we stand to reduce our deficit by billions of dollars over the next decade,” said U.S. Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), the Chairman Emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee and lead sponsor of H.R. 3962. “With this historic vote we are closer to bringing relief to American families who are forced to decide whether they will pay the mortgage or their health insurance premium. And with this historic vote, we will help American business compete in the global marketplace. Many legendary members who served in this body before have fought for national health insurance reform, only to never see it happen. It is a great honor to serve with a new generation of members who today took bold action, delivering on our promise of change. Our actions will earn the respect and appreciation of Americans for generations to come.”
“With this historic vote we are one step closer to fulfilling the promise of making the world's best health care system more affordable and accessible to all. This plan significantly limits the costs that have been spiraling out of control for decades, which have threatened the health, well-being and economic stability of our nation,” said U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), the Chairman of the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee. “Making health care more affordable not only reduces the burden on families and businesses, but also frees up the resources needed to create and sustain countless jobs without adding to our nation's deficit. While there is still much work to do, I value the discussions and debates that I have shared with my constituents and colleagues over these past few months. I am proud and humbled to be part of such historic change that will improve the quality of life for millions of Americans and help put our country back on the course of long prosperity.”
“The Affordability Health Care for America Act will mark history with reforms that will put nearly every American within reach of quality health care at affordable costs,” said U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) the Chairman of Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. “More important than the history books is what it will mean for all Americans. It will stop the insurance industry from denying or cutting off care and it will help prevent illness before it strikes. And it will reduce the amount spent on medical care in the country without adding one dime to the deficit. It will make the best of the health care system and help allow America live up to its promise and its ideals.”
“Today's vote is the most important in my career," said U.S. Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee. “I am proud to have helped author this legislation, which will finally guarantee affordable, quality health care to every American. I urge the Senate to act so we can achieve health care reform this year.”
The legislation will ensure affordability for workers and middle-class families, security for seniors with a stronger, more solvent Medicare program, and a healthy fiscal future.
The key components of the Affordable Health Care for America Act include:
Increasing choice and competition. The bill will protect and improve consumers’ choices.
· If people like their current plans, they will be able to keep them.
· Individuals who aren’t currently covered by their employers and small businesses will be able to purchase coverage through a new Health Insurance Exchange where consumers can comparison shop from a menu of affordable, quality health care options that will include private plans, health co-ops, and a new public health insurance option. The public health insurance option will operate on a level playing field with private insurers, spurring additional competition.
· This Exchange will create competition based on quality and price that leads to better coverage and care. Patients and doctors will have control over decisions about their health care, instead of insurance companies.
Giving Americans peace of mind. The legislation will ensure that Americans have portable, secure health care coverage – so that they won’t lose care if their employer drops their plan or they lose their job.
Every American who receives coverage through the Exchange will have a plan that includes comprehensive and quality health care benefits.
It will end increases in premiums or denials of care based on pre-existing conditions, race, or gender, and will strictly limit age rating.
The proposal will also eliminate co-pays for preventive care, and cap out-of-pocket expenses to protect every American from bankruptcy.
Improving quality of care for every American. The legislation will ensure that Americans of all ages, from young children to retirees, have access to greater quality of care by focusing on prevention, wellness, and strengthening programs that work.
Guarantees that every child in America will have health care coverage that includes dental, hearing, and vision benefits.
Provides better preventive and wellness care. Every health care plan offered through the
Exchange and by employers, after a grace period, will cover preventive care at no cost to the patient.
Increases the health care workforce to ensure that more doctors and nurses are available to provide quality care as more Americans get coverage.
Strengthens Medicare and Medicaid and closes the Medicare Part D “donut hole” so that seniors and low-income Americans receive better quality of care and see lower prescription drug costs and out-of-pocket expenses.
Ensuring shared responsibility. The bill will ensure that individuals, employers, and the federal government share responsibility for a quality and affordable health care system.
· Employers can continue offering coverage to workers, and those with payrolls over $500,000 who choose not to offer coverage will contribute a fee of up to eight percent of payroll.
· All individuals will generally be required to get coverage, either through their employer or the exchange, or pay a penalty of 2.5 percent of income. Individuals facing difficulties can apply for hardship waivers from the penalty.
· The federal government will provide affordability credits, available on a sliding scale for low- and middle-income individuals and families, to make premiums affordable and reduce cost-sharing.
Protecting consumers and reducing waste, fraud, and abuse. The legislation will put the interests of consumers first, protect them from insurer discrimination and mistreatment, and reduce waste, fraud and abuse.
· Provides transparency in plans in the Health Exchange so that consumers have clear, complete information, in plain English, to select the plan that best meets their needs.
· Establishes consumer advocacy offices as part of the Exchange to protect consumers, answer questions, and assist with any problems related to their plans.
· Simplifies paperwork and other administrative burdens. Patients, doctors, nurses, insurance companies, providers, and employers will all benefit from a streamlined, less confusing, more consumer-friendly system.
· Increases funding of efforts to reduce waste, fraud and abuse; and creates enhanced oversight of Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Reducing the deficit and ensuring the solvency of Medicare and Medicaid. The legislation will be entirely paid for – it will not add a dime to the deficit and will actually reduce the deficit over at least the next two decades. It will also put Medicare and Medicaid on the path to a more fiscally sound future, so seniors and low-income Americans can continue to receive quality health care benefits for years to come.
Pays for the entire cost of the legislation though a combination of savings achieved by making Medicare and Medicaid more efficient – without cutting seniors’ benefits in any way – and through revenue generated from placing a surcharge on the top 0.3 percent of all households in the U.S.(married couples with adjusted gross income of over $1,000,000) and other revenue measures.
CBO estimates the bill will reduce the deficit by at over $30 billion over ten years, not counting the additional deficit reduction generated by the CLASS Act.
Extends the life of the Medicare trust fund by 5 years.
Estimates also show the bill will slow the rate of growth of the Medicare program from 6.6 percent annually to 5.3 percent annually.
To view a copy of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, click here.
To view the immediate benefits for Americans that kick in under this legislation, click here.
To view a bill summary, detailed fact sheets and more information on what the health insurance reform will mean for Americans, click here.
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Statement on Historic Health Reform Bill
Chairman Miller Statement on Historic Health Reform Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and a key architect of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, during consideration of the legislation by the U.S. House of Representatives today.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this historic legislation to fix our broken health insurance system and finally bring affordable health coverage to every American.
We are truly on the verge of making history.
Never before has the House or Senate approved a bill to guarantee every American access to affordable health care. Never.
Not that we haven’t tried.
The fight to reform this nation’s health care system has spanned nearly 100 years, across generations and many great leaders, from Teddy Roosevelt to Franklin Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy to President Clinton to my own personal hero, Ted Kennedy.
But time and again these efforts were stymied by special interests.
The need for reform is dire.
Hundreds of thousands of people are losing insurance each month. At least 36 million Americans have no coverage at all – including nearly 50,000 people who live in my district in Northern California.
Over half of all personal bankruptcies are due to a medical incident. Businesses are chocking on bloated health care costs. Innovation is being stifled. Our competitiveness is undermined.
But this year is different. This time is different. The American people cannot afford to wait any longer, and today we will cast a history-making vote to guarantee all Americans access to quality, affordable health insurance.
We must not fail again.
An unprecedented effort by the House led us to this milestone. Three committees and our diverse Caucus worked together in an extensive and coordinated fashion, with one purpose – to fulfill a decades-old, and yet still urgent, promise.
We engaged the public in one of the most transparent debates of federal legislation in history, including over 2,000 events across the U.S. since July alone.
The result is a bill that reflects what we have heard from workers and families, from small business owners and economists, from seniors and college students, from doctors and nurses.
The Affordable Health Care for America Act will directly meet the needs of Americans and the goals that President Obama set for reform: it lowers costs for families and businesses, protects people’s choice of doctors and health plans, reduces the deficit, and ensures access to quality, affordable health insurance for all Americans.
For the first time in U.S. history, all uninsured Americans will be able to purchase quality, affordable coverage through a new Health Insurance Exchange, where they will be able to choose from a menu of options: a public health insurance option or several private plans.
And for those that already have insurance, our bill will grant them the security of knowing that their coverage will always be there.
Never again will Americans worry about losing their health care if they change or lose their job.
Never again will someone be denied health care coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
Never again will a patient have to worry about their insurance company rescinding their policy when they need coverage the most.
Never again will a small business owner have to worry about unpredictable and unaffordable premiums.
Our bill, H.R. 3962, will end the many injustices that workers, families, and businesses face in today’s system. It will finally make health insurance work for consumers – not insurance CEOs.
Let me be specific about what our reforms will mean for the American people:
No more co-pays or deductibles for preventative care;
No more rate increases because of a pre-existing condition, gender, or occupation;
An annual cap on out-of-pocket expenses;
Guaranteed affordable dental, hearing and vision care for children;
Lower prescription drug costs for seniors;
Young people will be able to stay on their parents insurance through their 27th birthday; and
A ban on lifetime caps on what insurance companies will pay, so patients will never again be one treatment away from medical bankruptcy.
In my district, the 7th district of California, that means:
406,000 residents who receive coverage through their employer will benefit from insurance reforms;
Credits in the Exchange will help 123,000 households obtain affordable health insurance; and
13,800 small businesses will have access to provide affordable coverage for their employees.
As I mentioned earlier, this legislation meets our commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Every piece of this bill is fully paid for through a combination of revenue raised by placing a surcharge on the wealthiest Americans and savings generated by making Medicare and Medicaid more efficient.
These reforms will strengthen Medicare for seniors and shift our system’s focus from quantity of health procedures to quality of care and producing healthier outcomes for patients.
The Congressional Budget Office reports that our bill will reduce the deficit by more than $100 billion over the next decade and slow the growth of health spending, leading 11 chief health care economists to declare our legislation “vital to the nation’s fiscal and economic future.”
As with previous efforts to reform health care, this bill received an enormous amount of public scrutiny. In the last few months, opponents of health reform have conjured up every falsehood imaginable about this bill in an effort to scare the American people and once again try to stymie reform.
But as I said, I believe that this year is different. Our legislation has been tested in public and the momentum continues to grow in support of the bill.
The American people have seen through the lies and distortions. And they are not fooled by the hoax of an eleventh-hour Republican bill that is nothing more than a cruel rebuke to the needs of families. Their bill would do nothing but maintain the status quo and guarantee insurance profits at the expense of tens of millions of hard working Americans.
The American people understand the true meaning of our bill. They know it will cover 96 percent of the American people. They know that, under our bill, if they lose their job they will continue to have health coverage for their children, spouses and families.
They know that this bill means that if they have cancer, the insurance company can no longer pull the rug out from under them while they’re in the middle of treatment.
They know that this bill will protect them, through any economic cycle.
Nearly fifty years ago, as he was fighting to expand health care benefits, President Kennedy said,
“All of the great revolutionary movements of the Franklin Roosevelt Administration we now take for granted. But I refuse to see us live on the accomplishments of another generation. I refuse to see this country and all of us shrink from the struggles which are our responsibility in our times.”
The struggle for health insurance reform is our responsibility today. This is our moment to revolutionize health care in this country.
We have arrived at this historic moment thanks to the hard work of so many people.
I would like to thank my good friends and colleagues, Chairman Rangel and Chairman Waxman, and our three subcommittee chairs, Representatives Rob Andrews, Frank Pallone and Pete Stark, and especially Dean John Dingell. We could not have had better teammates in this journey.
I would also like to thank the Democratic Leadership, our Speaker, Ms. Nancy Pelosi, the Majority Leader, Mr. Steny Hoyer, our Whip, Mr. James Clyburn, and all the members of leadership for the countless hours they spent working with the committee chairs to arrive at this point today.
And of course we could not have completed the work on this bill without the work of our incredibly talented staff, who worked long nights and weekends for months on end. They are the unsung heroes of this process, and I know all our colleagues join me in thanking them for their extraordinary work.
From my staff I would like to thank Mark Zuckerman, Alex Nock, Danny Weiss, Michele Varnhagen, Megan O’Reilly, Jody Calemine, Tico Almeida, Meredith Regine, James Schroll, Rachel Racusen, Aaron Albright, Amy Peake, Courtney Rochelle, and Mike Kruger.
Finally, I’d like to pay tribute to my mentor and friend, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Health care was the cause of Ted’s lifetime. Our effort would have been impossible had he not carried the torch of justice and equality for all those years.
I know I am not alone when I say that I sincerely wish Ted Kennedy could be with us today to see his dream of quality, affordable health care for all become a reality.
Mr. Speaker, this is the most important bill I have ever worked on during my many years of service in Congress.
I could not be prouder to have helped to write this bill, to encourage each of my colleagues to support it, and to cast my vote in favor of the Affordable Health Care for America Act.
We stand at the doorstep of history.
Let us go in.
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