Heather Rieman: All Publications, Events and Press

New America Foundation in Chronicle of Higher Education | 'President Bush: A Friend of Higher Education After All?'

Communications — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:00:00 -0500

President Bush: A Friend of Higher Education After All? (The Chronicle of Higher Education, subcription only) ... Mr. Bush has, however, given researchers, and their colleagues throughout higher education, something else of value: money. The president has been "highly successful" in winning increases for higher education from Congress, according to an analysis published last month by the New America Foundation, a Washington-based research and advocacy group that is often critical of the Bush administration. "Congress adopted nearly all of the significant higher-education funding and policy proposals included in the president's budget requests from 2002 through 2008," including increases in Pell Grants and loan-forgiveness programs, the foundation noted. more

The Bush Education Budget Legacy

Education Policy — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:20:00 -0500

Next week, President George W. Bush will submit his eighth and final budget request to the Congress. How has he fared with respect to education budget proposals thus far? Answer: although President Bush made the No Child Left Behind Act, which deals with elementary and secondary education, the hallmark of his education policy, from a federal education budget standpoint, the Bush administration’s most lasting legacy thus far is in higher education. The New America Foundation’s Federal Education Budget Project evaluated all the Bush administration's past budget requests and finds that the Bush administration has had relatively little success in enacting its elementary and secondary education budget proposals, but has seen enacted nearly all of its higher education budget proposals, including a major increase in Pell Grant program funding.

Key Findings:

For higher education policy, President Bush successfully used the budget and appropriations process to advance significant reforms. Congress enacted virtually all of the President’s higher education budget proposals, including recently shifting more than $20 billion in taxpayer subsidies from federal student loan providers to increased student financial aid, particularly in the form of larger Pell Grants.
Funding for key federal elementary and secondary education programs increased significantly during President Bush’s tenure in office. In nominal terms, No Child Left Behind Act Title I grant funding is $5.1 billion higher (59 percent) in 2008 than in 2001. Funding for state special education grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is $4.6 billion (73 percent) higher than in 2001.
However, with the exception of budget proposals directly linked to the No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush’s efforts to drive elementary and secondary education policy changes, such as his school voucher and high school reform proposals, through the budget and appropriations process have been largely unsuccessful. Further, Congress has ignored nearly all of the President’s proposals to eliminate funding for many small, categorical elementary and secondary education programs.

Heather Rieman in Education Week on Federal Education Spending

Communications — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:52:00 -0400

... The 2008 fiscal year began Oct. 1. Congress has passed a measure that continued to finance most federal programs at fiscal 2007 levels until mid-November.

If President Bush follows through on his threat, Democrats in Congress would likely attempt to override a veto of the Labor-HHS-Education bill, but most observers say it doesn’t appear that congressional leaders would have the necessary two-thirds majority.

The House approved the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill by a vote of 276-140 on July 19. More than 140 GOP lawmakers signed a letter, sent to President Bush in May, pledging to support any presidential vetoes on spending bills.

Still, a handful of those Republicans then voted for the education spending bill, so it may be difficult to predict how many lawmakers would agree to sustain a veto, said Heather Rieman, an education policy analyst at the New America Foundation, a Washington-based think tank.

If Congress could not override a veto, the administration and congressional leaders would have to work out a compromise on spending—or agree to continue financing education programs at fiscal 2007 spending levels through the rest of the 2008 fiscal year. ...

For the complete article, please visit Education… more

Analysis of Budget Battle Implications for Education Funding Released by New America

Communications — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 09:50:00 -0400

The New America Foundation released a paper today providing a detailed analysis of the current budget battle and its implications for education funding. The report finds that education funding has not been a driver of recent increases in federal spending and proposed increases are relatively minor compared to the overall budget.

“One can sincerely argue against education funding increases because of concerns about program effectiveness, efficiency, or value; but to suggest that education spending is the main culprit for busting the federal budget is misguided, if not disingenuous,” said Michael Dannenberg, New America’s Director of Education Policy.

The report, Budget Showdown 2007: The Facts Behind Education Funding, by Heather Rieman, a Policy Analyst at the New America Foundation, provides new research on recent trends in federal education spending and how those trends fit within the larger federal budget. The paper details the conflict behind the first budget cycle since 2000 during which different political parties control the Executive Branch and both chambers of Congress and identifies three possible scenarios of the current showdown may play out over the coming weeks.

If a Presidential veto threat does not derail proposed education appropriations legislation, Congress will increase spending on students, teachers, and schools cumulatively this fall by between $7 billion and $8 billion for the following school year. It represents the most significant change to federal education funding in the last decade. Most of the proposed increase is on the discretionary side of the budget and without offset. But $3 billion worth of the total increase is on the mandatory side of the budget and offset by cuts in federal subsidies to student loan providers.

Rieman dispels some of the common misperceptions about federal spending and the education budget. For example, the paper finds that in recent years, discretionary spending has grown faster than mandatory spending, contrary to the common belief that runaway entitlement spending is crowding out other spending priorities. Separate from spending on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, spending on defense and international matters has driven the growth in discretionary spending. Further, the paper shows that education spending has contributed very little to federal spending growth (only 5.5% of the last five year’s increase), nor has its place in the federal budget expanded since 2001.

Education and the Federal Budget Showdown

Communications — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 04:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
10/04/2007 - 11:00am

The White House and Congress are engaged in a major budget debate that threatens a government shutdown and could markedly influence federal education funding. Congressional Democrats have proposed significant increases in education spending for Fiscal Year 2008, while the President has proposed to cut Education Department funding and threatened to veto relevant spending bills.

The panelists at this New America event discussed the current budget debate and its implications for federal education funding; lessons from past budget… more

Budget Showdown 2007: The Facts Behind Education Funding

Education Policy — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 02:12:00 -0400

The White House and Congress are approaching a major budget debate that could markedly influence federal education funding. This is the first budget cycle since 2000 during which different political parties control the Executive Branch and both chambers of Congress. The federal budget and appropriations process is rarely without acrimony, but this year’s battle may be especially rancorous.

The Federal Education Budget Project finds that although Congress plans a significant increase in federal spending on schools, teachers, and students -- the most significant this decade when considering discretionary and mandatory sources -- education funding has not been a driver of recent increases in federal spending and the contemplated increase is relatively minor with respect to the overall budget. Opponents of proposed increases in education spending argue that the overall federal budget is growing faster than is prudent, and this argument is likely to be a key component of this year’s budget debate. One could argue against proposed increased spending on education because of concerns about program effectiveness, efficiency, or value, but any attempt to single out education spending as the main driver of a federal budget that some believe has become too large would be misguided.

Summary

If a Presidential veto threat does not derail proposed education appropriations legislation, Congress will increase spending on students, teachers, and schools cumulatively this fall by between $7 billion and $8 billion for the following school year. It represents the most significant change to federal education funding in the last decade. Most of the proposed increase is on the discretionary side of the budget and without offset. But $3 billion worth of the total increase is on the mandatory side of the budget and offset by cuts in federal subsidies to student loan providers.
From fiscal year 2001 to fiscal year 2006, discretionary spending grew at a faster rate than mandatory spending. The increase has been driven primarily by defense and other “war on terror” spending. Between fiscal years 2001 and 2006, spending on defense, international affairs, and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars was responsible for 69 percent ($231.3 billion) of the total increase in discretionary spending. In contrast, domestic discretionary spending on matters such as health, transportation, and education was responsible for only 31 percent ($101.6 billion) of the increase. Spending on Department of Education programs was responsible for only 5.5 percent of the increase in overall federal discretionary spending between fiscal years 2001 and 2006.
The budget battle between Congress and the White House could end in a number of ways that will affect education funding. Three possible scenarios for how the budget showdown might play out are presented—one that could result in a government shutdown, one that shifts funding to supplemental appropriations bills, and a third that considers a deal involving federal education funding and the No Child Left Behind Act reauthorization.

The Growing College Access Buzz

Education Policy — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:28:00 -0400

To encourage students to attend college, an increasing number of states are creating policy initiatives designed to help low-income and minority students solve the college access puzzle. The best plans provide support to overcome all of the barriers that these students face—academic preparation, information and guidance, and affordability.

Maine and Wisconsin are two of the latest states to work on initiatives that promote college access. Will an increased federal role be far behind?