Kline, J Rep

<p>==</p><p><strong>John Kline</strong>. The chair (R-MN) of the House of

Representatives committee overseeing education is one of the top

recipients of campaign cash from the for-profit college industry, along

with House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Kline’s lieutenant Virginia Foxx

(R-NC),  and ethically challenged House members Vern Buchanan (R-FL),

Alcee Hastings (D-FL), and Rob Andrews (D-NJ). These members, at the

bidding of for-profit colleges, cheerlead for the industry and promote

bills to prevent accountability for waste, fraud, and abuse with our tax

dollars. A 2011 APSCU draft memo I obtained described the group’s

strategy on Capitol Hill as “directed by House Republican leadership.”</p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">===</font></p><p><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/higher-ed-lobby-quietly-joins-for-profit-schools-to-roll-back-tighter-rules"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">https://www.propublica.org/article/higher-ed-lobby-quietly-joins-for-profit-schools-to-roll-back-tighter-rules</font></a></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">...
</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Then the Republicans took control of the Senate and the signals changed. </font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">

</font><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><b>In February, all major higher education lobbying groups but one—the

Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities—sent a letter backing

the <a href="http://edworkforce.house.gov/regulatoryrelief/">“Supporting Academic Freedom Through Regulatory Relief Act,”</a>

authored by Rep. John Kline of Minnesota and Rep. Virginia Foxx of

North Carolina, the Republicans who chair, respectively, the education

committee and the higher education subcommittee</b>. The bill, which has a

counterpart in the Senate, would bar the regulations on for-profits,

among other regulatory rollbacks.</font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">

</font><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">The shift cheers the for-profits, which have seen <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/19/for-profit-college-enrollment_n_1988186.html">enrollment fall amid all the bad publicity for the industry and threat of tougher oversight</a> (one major chain, Corinthian Colleges, has <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-corinthian-shutdown-20150427-story.html">been shut down entirely</a>). </font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">

</font><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">“We welcome anybody that’s interested in stopping over-burdensome

regulations that are not helping students,” said Noah Black, a spokesman

for the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, which

records show spent $650,000 on federal lobbying last year. “We’re always

happy when people agree with us.”</font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"></font><p>
</p>

<p>

d doz 9/14</p>

<p>

<span style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Congressman<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.nrdcactionfund.org/updates/dirtydenier-day-9-congressman-jon-kline.html/" onclick="gaq.push(['trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http://www.nrdcactionfund.org/updates/dirtydenier-day-9-congressman-jon-kline.html/', 'John Kline']);" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(67, 146, 65); transition: color 0.2s linear; -webkit-transition: color 0.2s linear; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">John Kline</a><span style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(R-MN) isn’t the most vocal denier but he sports an</span><span style=" font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style=" color: #ED1C24;"> abysmal lifetime score of 4 percent from the LCV.</span></span><span style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25.200000762939453px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> His voting record speaks for itself. He voted to roll back the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts and opposes clean energy investment. Two of his top five donors are coal companies. Coincidence? Probably not.</span>

==</p>

<h2 class="asset-name" style=" margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; clear: left;"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#841429"><span style=" font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/05/for-profit-educations-million-dollar-letter/</span></font></h2>

<p style=" color: rgb(33, 43, 74); padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">The public comment period ended this week on the Education Department’s proposed <a href="http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/obama-administration-takes-action-protect-americans-predatory-poor-performing-ca" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">new rules</a> to limit federal aid to colleges and universities whose graduates are particularly debt-saddled or have high rates of student loan default. The rules would hit for-profit institutions hardest.

But the industry is fighting back — and it has allies. Last week, 36 lawmakers sent a letter to the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/cmteprofiles/overview.php?cmteid=H03&cmte=HAPP&congno=113&chamber=H" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">House Appropriations Committee</a>, asking its members to insert language to keep DOE from finalizing the new rules into pending funding legislation.

Some of the signers represent districts where for-profit schools are based, or where there are many students enrolling in for-profit institutions. But a common trait of almost all of the signers is that the for-profit industry has shelled out big bucks for their campaigns. There are just five lawmakers on the letter who have never taken for-profit education money; the other 31 have taken a combined $1.2 million from the industry over the course of their careers.

The letter is evenly bi-partisan — 18 Democrats and 18 Republicans — but the Democrats who signed have an edge in terms of money received from the industry,  $631,000 to $584,000 over their careers. That’s not representative of the industry’s giving in general. So far this cycle, PACs from companies and trade associations in the industry made contributions to about <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?cycle=2014&ind=H5300" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">one quarter of all House members</a> — 64 Republicans, with an average contribution of $6,401, and 46 Democrats, with an average contribution of $4,000.

<span style=" color: rgb(33, 43, 74);">The first signature on the letter (see below) is that o</span><font color="#ff0000">f Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00004436&cycle=2014" style=" text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Kline</a> (R-Minn.), chairman</font><font color="#212b4a"> of the </font><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/cmteprofiles/overview.php?cmteid=H08&cmte=HEDU&congno=113&chamber=H" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">House Committee on Education and Workforce</a><font color="#212b4a">, whose campaign committee has received more than $395,000 from for-profit education companies over the course of his career. So far in the 2014 cycle alone, Kline has received $187,000 from individuals and PACs in the education industry — almost all of it from those in the for-profit sector. His leadership PAC has picked up another $20,000 from the for-profits’ PACs. An OpenSecrets.org analysis of all donations from the industry to all politicians in our databases show Kline is the </font><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=H5300&cycle=All&recipdetail=M&sortorder=U" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">second biggest recipient of its cash</a><font color="#212b4a">, behind only former Rep. </font><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00000826&cycle=2014" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Robert Andrews</a><font color="#212b4a"> (D-N.J.) who </font><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/02/04/n-j-democrat-rob-andrews-expected-to-resign-from-congress/" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">resigned</a><font color="#212b4a"> recently.</font>

Other names from the list of biggest all-time recipients of for-profit education cash are on the list as well: Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00001148&cycle=2014" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Carolyn McCarthy</a> (D-N.Y), who has received $185,000 over her career, is No. 6; Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00001003&cycle=2014" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Eliot Enge</a>l (D-N.Y.), who has received $139,000, is No. 8; and Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00002884&cycle=2014" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Alcee Hastings</a> (D-Fla.), who has received $115,000 is No. 10.

Below is a full list of all 36 members who signed the letter and how much they received from the industry.</p>

<p>

Some of the letter’s recipients are already quite familiar with the for-profit education donors. House Appropriations Committee Chairman <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00003473&cycle=2014" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Hal Rogers</a> (R-Ky.) has only received $250 in his career from the industry, but his Democratic counterpart, Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00001024&cycle=2014" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Nita Lowey</a> (D-N.Y), has received $116,800 — although none so far this election cycle.

The for-profit education industry has been battered by bad publicity in recent months. The latest such story came this week, when it was revealed that five South Carolina judges and lawyers who started the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=F20353%20%20%20%20&year=2010" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Charleston School of Law</a> withdrew $25 million in profits from 2010 to 2013 and <a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140525/PC16/140529595?utm_content=bufferfc4cb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer" style=" color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">distributed it among themselves</a>, leaving the school in financial straits.</p>

<h2 class="asset-name" style=" font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(132, 20, 41); clear: left;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/07/for-profit-education.html" style=" text-decoration: none; outline: none; color: rgb(99, 101, 99); line-height: 1.25em; font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal;">Rep. Kline Turns Chairmanship into Profitable For-Profit Haul</a></h2>

<div style=" font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img src="/382e2f10-cb6a-5c7b-bcf5-e84774673123.png"/><span helvetica="helvetica" neue="neue" arial="arial" sans-serif="sans-serif">By Russ Choma on July 15, 2013 4:12 PM</span></div>

<div class="asset-body" style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; clear: both;">The federal student loan rate just doubled for many scholars, university tuition costs continue to climb, and sequestration threatens grants to many large universities. But Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cycle=2014&cid=N00004436&type=I" style=" outline: none; color: rgb(99, 101, 99);">John Kline</a> (R-Minn.), who chairs the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/cmteprofiles/overview.php?cmte=HEDU&cmteid=H08&cycle=2014" style=" outline: none; color: rgb(99, 101, 99);">House Education and Workforce Committee</a>, didn't get a single campaign contribution from the beginning of April to the end of June from any students, professors, faculty, teachers' groups or nonprofit universities. 

The <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=H5300" style=" outline: none; color: rgb(99, 101, 99);">for-profit education industry</a>, however, accounted for almost one quarter of his substantial fundraising in 2013's second quarter.

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<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kline raised $482,000 in the second quarter, according to FEC reports filed today. Of that sum, at least $116,000 came from PACs operated by for-profit universities or top executives at those companies. Executives at <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000052445" style=" outline: none; color: rgb(99, 101, 99);">ITT Education Services</a>, the company that owns the large chain of for-profit technical schools ITT Tech, combined to give Kline $13,400 over the three month period. Executives from the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000021846" style=" outline: none; color: rgb(99, 101, 99);">Apollo Group</a>, which owns University of Phoenix, gave $11,600; <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000051141" style=" outline: none; color: rgb(99, 101, 99);">Full Sail University</a>, $10,400; Globe University, $10,000; and Grand Canyon University, gave $9,500.</div>

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<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">PACs operated by another 29 for-profit education groups, and/or individuals who work for them, also chipped in, including a $5,000 donation from the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000024620" style=" outline: none; color: rgb(99, 101, 99);">Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities</a>. That makes it Kline's top industry donor for the quarter, by far. Not a single individual who self-identified as a student, faculty or staff member of a nonprofit university contributed any money to his campaign. Based on an analysis of his filing, the only other donation from an education-related organization or individual was a $5,000 donation from the PAC of Sallie Mae, the student loan company. </div>

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