S. 1209Senate109th Congress (2005-2007)In Committee

Higher Education for Freedom Act

Sponsored by Judd GreggSen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Introduced June 9, 2005

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6304-6305)

June 9, 2005

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

June 9, 2005

SenateIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6304)

June 9, 2005

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6304-6305)

June 9, 2005

Floor Debate

23 members

What members said about S. 1209 on the floor

10 Republicans12 Democrats1 Independent
Orrin G. Hatch
Sen. Orrin G. HatchR-UT · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce with my colleagues, Senators Feinstein, Grassley, Kyl, and Cornyn, a comprehensive bipartisan bill to increase gang prosecution and prevention efforts. The…

Jeff Bingaman
Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM · Jun 9, 2005

Mr. President--I rise today to introduce a bill that would establish a capability within the State Department Science Advisor's Office to assess science and technology outside the United States. Over…

Dianne Feinstein
Sen. Dianne FeinsteinD-CA · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce this bill today along with Senator Boxer as cosponsor to direct the Interior Secretary to conduct a study to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of…

John Cornyn
Sen. John CornynR-TX · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, in the fall of 2003, I introduced S. 1932, the Artists' Rights and Theft Prevention Act of 2003, along with my friend from California, Senator Feinstein. As introduced, the ART Act was…

Robert F. Bennett
Sen. Robert F. BennettR-UT · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, I rise today to re-introduce the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area Act. The story behind and about the Mormon pioneers' 1,400-mile trek from Illinois to the Great Salt Lake Valley…

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Christopher J. Dodd
Sen. Christopher J. DoddD-CT · Jun 9, 2005

Mr. President, I am pleased to join with my colleague from Maine, Senator Collins, and my colleague from Vermont, Senator Leahy, to introduce legislation today to protect America's children from the…

Herb Kohl
Sen. Herb KohlD-WI · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, I rise today to join Senators Grassley, Hatch, Carper, and many others in introducing the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. This legislation addresses the continuing problems in class…

John McCain
Sen. John McCainR-AZ · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by Senators Stevens and Dorgan in introducing the Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2005. This legislation is virtually identical to a measure…

Daniel K. Akaka
Sen. Daniel K. AkakaD-HI · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, I rise today with the senior Senator from Hawaii to introduce the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005. This is bipartisan legislation that we have been working on…

Debbie Stabenow
Sen. Debbie StabenowD-MI · Jun 9, 2005

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation that will convey the United States Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw to the City and County of Cheboygan for use as a museum. The United States Coast…

Susan M. Collins
Sen. Susan M. CollinsR-ME · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President I rise with my good friend Senator Carper to offer the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act in order to streamline and strengthen the way we help our States, communities, and first…

Daniel K. Inouye
Sen. Daniel K. InouyeD-HI · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, many of you know of my continued support and advocacy on the importance of addressing the plight of Filipino World War II veterans. As an American, I believe the treatment of Filipino…

Tom Harkin
Sen. Tom HarkinD-IA · Jun 9, 2005

Mr. President, over the past 100 years, the economy of the United States has become inextricably tied to the supply of petroleum. In the early part of the 20th century, America's abundant sources of…

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Edward M. Kennedy
Sen. Edward M. KennedyD-MA · Jun 9, 2005

Mr. President, it is a privilege to join my distinguished colleague, Senator Durbin, in introducing the Teacher Excellence for All Children Act of 2005. Its goal is to bring us closer to giving every…

Judd Gregg
Sen. Judd GreggR-NH · Jun 9, 2005

Mr. President, today I am proud to introduce the Higher Education for Freedom Act. This bill will establish a competitive grant program making funds available to institutions of higher education,…

Olympia J. Snowe
Sen. Olympia J. SnoweR-ME · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, I rise today to cosponsor Senator Jeffords' bill--as I have in the last three Congresses--because I remain dedicated to reducing power plant emissions that cause some of the…

Olympia J. Snowe
Sen. Olympia J. SnoweR-ME · Jun 9, 2005

Mr. President, this year well over 6 million pregnancies will occur in America. The challenge of raising healthy children and preparing them for a changing world is a staggering one indeed. This is…

Lamar Alexander
Sen. Lamar AlexanderR-TN · Jun 9, 2005

Mr. President, in order to protect our Nation's most scenic areas, Senator Warner, the senior Senator from Virginia, and I are today introducing a revised version of the Environmentally Responsible…

Harry Reid
Sen. Harry ReidD-NV · Jun 9, 2005

Mr. President, this week marks the fortieth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Griswold v. Connecticut that struck down a Connecticut law that had made the use of birth control by…

Patrick J. Leahy
Sen. Patrick J. LeahyD-VT · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, today I join my colleagues, Senators Hatch, Feinstein, and Cornyn, introducing an important piece of bipartisan intellectual property legislation. The provisions of the ``Family…

Jon Kyl
Sen. Jon KylR-AZ · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, today, I am pleased to join with Senator McCain to introduce the Northern Arizona Land Exchange and Verde River Basin Partnership Act of 2005. This bill facilitates a large and complex…

Norm Coleman
Sen. Norm ColemanR-MN · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the Veterans Benefits Outreach Act of 2005 with my good friend and colleague, Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas. The idea for this legislation emanated…

Barbara Boxer
Sen. Barbara BoxerD-CA · Jun 9, 2005

Mr. President, as we commemorate World Oceans Week, we celebrate the wonder and beauty of the world's oceans. We celebrate the role our oceans play in commerce, fishing and shipping. We celebrate the…

James M. Jeffords
Sen. James M. JeffordsI-VT · Jan 25, 2005

Mr. President, I am both sad and happy to re-introduce the Clean Power Act again with Senators Lieberman and Collins and the other 16 cosponsors of the legislation from the last Congress. I am happy…

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in SenateIssued June 9, 2005

II

109th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1209

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 9, 2005

Mr. Gregg introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To establish and strengthen postsecondary programs and courses in the subjects of traditional American history, free institutions, and Western civilization, available to students preparing to teach these subjects, and to other students.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Higher Education for Freedom Act.

2.

Findings and purposes

(a)

Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

Given the increased threat to American ideals in the trying times in which we live, it is important to preserve and defend our common heritage of freedom and civilization and to ensure that future generations of Americans understand the importance of traditional American history and the principles of free government on which this Nation was founded in order to provide the basic knowledge that is essential to full and informed participation in civic life and to the larger vibrancy of the American experiment in self-government, binding together a diverse people into a single Nation with a common purpose.

(2)

However, despite its importance, most of the Nation’s colleges and universities no longer require United States history or systematic study of Western civilization and free institutions as a prerequisite to graduation.

(3)

In addition, too many of our Nation’s elementary school and secondary school history teachers lack the training necessary to effectively teach these subjects, due largely to the inadequacy of their teacher preparation.

(4)

Distinguished historians and intellectuals fear that without a common civic memory and a common understanding of the remarkable individuals, events, and ideals that have shaped our Nation and its free institutions, the people in the United States risk losing much of what it means to be an American, as well as the ability to fulfill the fundamental responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.

(b)

Purposes

The purposes of this Act are to promote and sustain postsecondary academic centers, institutes, and programs that offer undergraduate and graduate courses, support research, sponsor lectures, seminars, and conferences, and develop teaching materials, for the purpose of developing and imparting a knowledge of traditional American history, the American Founding, and the history and nature of, and threats to, free institutions, or of the nature, history, and achievements of Western civilization, particularly for—

(1)

undergraduate students who are enrolled in teacher education programs, who may consider becoming school teachers, or who wish to enhance their civic competence;

(2)

elementary school, middle school, and secondary school teachers in need of additional training in order to effectively teach in these subject areas; and

(3)

graduate students and postsecondary faculty who wish to teach about these subject areas with greater knowledge and effectiveness.

3.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Eligible institution

The term eligible institution means—

(A)

an institution of higher education;

(B)

a specific program within an institution of higher education; and

(C)

a non-profit history or academic organization associated with higher education whose mission is consistent with the purposes of this Act.

(2)

Free institution

The term free institution means an institution that emerged out of Western civilization, such as democracy, constitutional government, individual rights, market economics, religious freedom and tolerance, and freedom of thought and inquiry.

(3)

Institution of higher education

The term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

(4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.

(5)

Traditional american history

The term traditional American history means—

(A)

the significant constitutional, political, intellectual, economic, and foreign policy trends and issues that have shaped the course of American history; and

(B)

the key episodes, turning points, and leading figures involved in the constitutional, political, intellectual, diplomatic, and economic history of the United States.

4.

Grants to eligible institutions

(a)

In general

From amounts appropriated to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions, which grants shall be used for—

(1)

history teacher preparation initiatives, that—

(A)

stress content mastery in traditional American history and the principles on which the American political system is based, including the history and philosophy of free institutions, and the study of Western civilization; and

(B)

provide for grantees to carry out research, planning, and coordination activities devoted to the purposes of this Act; and

(2)

strengthening postsecondary programs in fields related to the American founding, free institutions, and Western civilization, particularly through—

(A)

the design and implementation of courses, lecture series, and symposia, the development and publication of instructional materials, and the development of new, and supporting of existing, academic centers;

(B)

research supporting the development of relevant course materials;

(C)

the support of faculty teaching in undergraduate and graduate programs; and

(D)

the support of graduate and postgraduate fellowships and courses for scholars related to such fields.

(b)

Selection criteria

In selecting eligible institutions for grants under this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall establish criteria by regulation, which shall, at a minimum, consider the education value and relevance of the institution’s programming to carrying out the purposes of this Act and the expertise of key personnel in the area of traditional American history and the principles on which the American political system is based, including the political and intellectual history and philosophy of free institutions, the American Founding, and other key events that have contributed to American freedom, and the study of Western civilization.

(c)

Grant application

An eligible institution that desires to receive a grant under this Act shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may prescribe by regulation.

(d)

Grant review

The Secretary shall establish procedures for reviewing and evaluating grants made under this Act.

(e)

Grant awards

(1)

Maximum and minimum grants

The Secretary shall award each grant under this Act in an amount that is not less than $400,000 and not more than $6,000,000.

(2)

Exception

A subgrant made by an eligible institution under this Act to another eligible institution shall not be subject to the minimum amount specified in paragraph (1).

(f)

Multiple awards

For the purposes of this Act, the Secretary may award more than 1 grant to an eligible institution.

(g)

Subgrants

An eligible institution may use grant funds provided under this Act to award subgrants to other eligible institutions at the discretion of, and subject to the oversight of, the Secretary.

5.

Authorization of appropriations

For the purpose of carrying out this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated—

(1)

$140,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and

(2)

such sums as may be necessary for each of the succeeding 5 fiscal years.