Bishop is awaiting House ed-bill action

WASHINGTON — Rep. Rob Bishop hopes to see his clarification of a federal college grant program pass the House, possibly by the end of the week.

Bishop introduced a bill less than a month ago to alter a recently approved college grant program that would award $4 billion in grants to students who take "rigorous" classes focused on math and science.

Bishop, a Utah Republican who taught high school before running for Congress, supports federal money going to students to help pay for college. But he objected to an earlier version of the bill that had the education secretary getting involved with the school curriculum.

The House on Wednesday amended the Higher Education Act to include Bishop's proposal to delete a requirement that the secretary sign off on what constitutes a "rigorous" program . Bishop wants to leave that decision up to a state's "chief school officer."

Now he is just waiting for the bill to pass the whole House, which could happen as early as today.

"It is exciting for me to have this done," Bishop said, especially so quickly. He knew he would have to add it to another piece of legislation for it to go through, and he said this bill was an "appropriate place" to put it.