Higher Education: House Passes Student Loan Bill With Further Limitations on Drug Warrior "Aid Elimination Penalty"
The infamous Higher Education Act (HEA) anti-drug provision, or "Aid Elimination Penalty," which bars students committing drug offenses from receiving financial aid for specified periods of time, took a step toward further dilution this week when the US House of Representatives Thursday approved H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA). In the passed bill is language that restricts the penalty to those convicted of drug sales, not mere drug possession.
Mark Souder conceding the amendment
The House victory came only after Souder attempted and finally gave up a last ditch effort to undo the reform. The Indiana conservative first submitted an amendment to strip out the new language in the Education & Labor committee where the bill originated earlier this year, a vote which he lost. This week, he submitted the amendment as the bill came up for a vote on the House floor, but then withdrew it after Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) suggested compromise language that would limit the provision's effect to felony drug convictions instead of drug sales convictions.
That compromise language came too late to be included in the House floor vote Thursday. It would presumably be offered up during conference committee.
But that wasn't the only reason Souder withdrew his amendment. As he conceded in a House speech Thursday, "I was probably going to lose today."
More than 200,000 students have already lost financial aid under the Souder aid elimination penalty because of drug convictions. Passage of SAFRA, with either the sales conviction language or the felony conviction language, would reduce the pool of students who would potentially be victimized by it. It's not full repeal, but it's another step closer.
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redditIt's about the money
Comment posted by maxwood on Fri, 09/18/2009 - 4:51pm1. Loss of student aid limits a young person's chances of attending an expensive, high-rated college and getting a degree which guarantees a high first job salary and promotion prospects. The resulting impoverishment targets those who, if they had acquired the money, might later contribute to pro-cannabis (anti-tobackgo) causes, campaigns, candidates etc.
2. Some parents are likely to react thus: "We slaved for you and now you go and blow it!" (After all, they were counting on their investment in that child to yield good job earnings up to age 40 and beyond, and a soft secure old age for said parents, nature's Social Security program.) Disowning, eviction from the house and other kinds of revenge may occur. Then the publicity or scuttlebutt goes: "Look what marijuana did to that family!"
H.R. 3221
Comment posted by Mokkie on Fri, 09/18/2009 - 8:47pmI live in the 8th district and it is time to let Mark Souder of the in the 3rd district congressman to put away his Hatred of marijuana users and medical marijuana patients. IT's time for compassion for ALL people and let's get back to the constitution.
Also Let's talk about how the first two drafts of the Constitution Of The UNITED STATES Of AMERICA was drafted on Hemp Paper.
Either you stand with our founding fathers Or You stand against them
Mokkie
Souder amendment to SAFRA
Comment posted by Matthew Meyer on Fri, 09/18/2009 - 11:26amThanks for providing more details on why Souder withdrew the amendment. We'll see what happens as SAFRA advances.