A bill to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce bill that would give our veterans, surviving spouses, and certain dependent children he option to buy dental insurance coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs. My bill is based on a very successful program that has been in place since 1998 for military retirees and their families.

Under the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program, TRDP, military retirees are given the option to purchase dental coverage under a contract managed by the Department of Defense. Since the program started, over one million eligible participants have chosen to buy dental coverage through this plan, including over 56,000 in my home state of North Carolina. Those individuals have access to a network of about 112,000 dental plan providers across the nation. Premiums range from $14 to $48 per month per person, depending on the region and type of dental plan selected. With this kind of success, it seems only fitting that we offer the same kind of benefit to our veterans.

VA runs the largest integrated health care system in the nation. Although VA provides dental benefits to the 7.9 million veterans enrolled in the health care system, these benefits are either limited to a select group of people or can only be provided under very limited circumstances. For example, VA provides comprehensive dental care to veterans for 180 days after they leave service; who have service- related dental conditions; who are in nursing homes and require dental care; or who fall under other very strict guidelines.

My bill would supplement this limited coverage by giving veterans and survivors the option to purchase a more comprehensive dental plan. Of course, many veterans may have dental coverage through their employers or through an individual policy. My bill extends this dental plan option to all enrolled veterans.

As I mentioned, the bill is modeled after the successful program that is now offered to TRICARE retirees. Federal employees also have access to a similar benefit option for dental coverage. Like these other programs, this VA program would be entirely voluntary, be financed through premiums and, most importantly, provide needed coverage from a network of dental professionals in local communities.

This bill would not replace VA's dental services; it is just another option for those who want to have access to group insurance rates that they could not otherwise get on their own. This idea is like the 44 year relationship VA has with Prudential, who provides active duty servicemembers and veterans with group life insurance policies. The most important part of the relationship is that servicemembers and veterans are well-served and get to reap

the benefits of group rates and competition.

This is a good example of how we can build on innovative and successful approaches to improving options for our veterans. I believe my bill is another step in that direction, and I ask my colleagues for their support.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of S. 3180, a bill to temporarily extend the Higher Education Act of 1965. This bill will provide a clean extension of the Higher Education Act for 1 more month as we continue to work with our Senate colleagues to hammer out a conference agreement.

The underlying reauthorization of the Higher Education Act is long overdue. Since 2003 Congress has passed twelve extensions, two reconciliation bills, an emergency student loan bill, and the House has passed two reauthorization bills. In the reauthorization bill passed by this Congress, we strengthened Pell Grants, improved the Perkins Loan program, and expanded access to college for millions of American students. The reauthorization bills also included important reforms that will provide more transparency to American families on the cost of college. A recent report found that since 1983, the cost of keeping colleges running has outpaced the consumer price index by 48 percent. The average total for tuition fees, room and board, for an in-State student at a public 4-year college is $13,589. It jumps to $32,307 for a student attending a private 4-year college. Tuition and fees have increased by an average of 4.4 percent per year over the past decade, and that's after adjusting for inflation. Students and families need to be able to plan for these increases, and that's exactly what we are proposing, through greater sunshine and transparency. We need to complete the reauthorization process to make those proposals a reality.

Madam Speaker, this is a clean extension bill that will allow the current programs of the Higher Education Act to continue past their current June 30, 2008, expiration date until July 31, 2008. Programs like Pell Grants and Perkins Loans are the passports out of poverty for millions of American students. We must complete our work on the conference agreement prior to the August recess.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S. 3180.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 3180) to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3180, a bill to temporarily extend programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

At the beginning of February, the House took steps to reauthorize the Higher Education Act in passing H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. We now find ourselves in the near final phase of completing the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act as we work toward a compromise bill with the Senate to ensure that the doors of college are truly open to all qualified students.

It is our goal to ensure that a final bill encompasses the major issues addressed in H.R. 4137, including skyrocketing college prices, a needlessly complicated student aid application process, and predatory tactics by student lenders.

The bill under consideration today, S. 3180, will extend the programs under the Higher Education Act until July 31, 2008, to allow sufficient time for final deliberations on the two bills reported out of the respective Chambers.

It has been nearly 10 years since the Higher Education Act was last reauthorized, and I believe the Members on both sides of the aisle and in both Chambers are anxious to complete the work on this bill in this Congress. We believe it can happen.

I look forward to joining my colleagues on the committees in both the House and the Senate in completing our work on behalf of this Nation's hardworking families and students.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to S. 3180 that was introduced today.

I ask unanimous consent the bill be read three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.