Burns' Persistence Pays off: Sanctions against Universities are Eliminated

Burns' Persistence Pays off: Sanctions against Universities are Eliminated

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Max Burns (GA-12) announced today that he was successful in altering H.R. 3311, the Affordability in Higher Education Act, by eliminating the provisions of the bill that would strip universities of federal funding. Burns, a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, has previously voiced his concerns regarding H.R. 3311, and successfully persuaded U.S. Representative Buck McKeon (CA-25), Chairman of the 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee of the Education Committee, to revise the legislation and eliminate the sanctions.

"In the Twelfth District there are thirteen colleges and universities, and in talking to folks at these institutions, it became clear to me that we needed to alter this proposal. There are better ways to keep college affordable without penalizing universities. I made sure the position of the colleges and universities I represent were heard by the committee, and I'm delighted Chairman McKeon agreed to alter H.R. 3311," Burns said.

"Budget crunches are already a cause for concern at the college and university level - the threat of eliminating federal funds in this manner would have had serious repercussions on educational programs and faculty positions at our institutions of higher education," Burns concluded.

"Max Burns was one of the first members of the subcommittee to point out that colleges were taking voluntary steps to reign in tuition, and that federal sanctions may not be necessary at this time to hold schools accountable for their excessive tuition hikes. Max has been a consistent and outspoken champion of the thirteen colleges and universities in his district, and has worked closely with me to draft policy to make the dream of a college education more accessible for more students across America. I applaud Max's continued leadership on higher education issues, and look forward to visiting the Twelfth District again to learn more about the issues important to the colleges and universities in his community," McKeon said.