Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 123.djvu/3569

 123STA T . 3 549CON C UR R E NT RESO L UT I ONS — A P R. 29 , 2 0 09 (3)theCongr e s s al so sho u l dp ursue pol ic ies designed to ensure that Am erican students , teachers, b usinesses, and w or k ers are prepared to continue leading the world in inno v a - tion, research, and technolog y well into the f uture and ( 4 ) this resolution recogni z es the importance of the e x ten- sion of investments and tax policies that promote research and development and encourage innovation and future tech- nologies that will ensure American economic competitiveness .SEC.604 .SE N SE OFTH E CON GR ESS REG A R DI NG P A Y PARITY. I t is the sense of the Congress that rates of compensation for civilian employees of the U nited S tates should be ad j usted at the same time, and in the same proportion, as are rates of compensation for members of the uniformed services. SEC. 60 5 . SENSE OF THE CONGRESS ON CO L LEGE AFFORDA B ILITY AND ST U DENT LOAN REFOR M . It is the Sense of the Congress that — ( 1 ) nothing in the resolution should be construed to reduce any assistance that makes college more affordable and acces- sible for students, including but not limited to student aid programs and services provided by nonprofit State agencies and private lenders; ( 2 ) private and non-profit lenders, originators, and loan servicers help students plan for, apply to, and pay for post- secondary education and training; (3) any reform of the federal student loan programs to ensure that students have reliable and efficient access to federal loans should include some future role for the currently involved private and non-profit entities, including state non-profits with 1 0 0 %F F EL lending in the State, and capitalize on the current infrastructure provided by private and non-profit entities, in order both to provide employment to many Americans during this time of economic distress and to maintain valuable services that make post-secondary education more accessible and attain- able for many Americans; and (4) therefore, pursuant to any changes to the student loan programs, loan processing, administration, and servicing should continue to be performed, as needed, by for-profit and non- profit entities. SEC. 606. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS ON GREAT LA K ES RESTORATION. It is the sense of the Congress that this resolution recognizes the need to address significant and long-standing problems affecting the major large scale a q uatic, estuarine, and coastal ecosystems nationwide. T his resolution includes funding for a new interagency initiative to address such regional ecosystems. It also includes funding to work with G reat Lakes States, tribes, local communities, and organizations to more effectively address issues prioritized in the Great Lakes R egional Collaborative. This initiative could address issues such as invasive species, habitat restoration and conservation, non-point source pollution, and contaminated sedi- ment. The resolution also supports the P resident ’ s proposal to use outcome-oriented performance goals and measures to target the most significant problems and track progress in addressing these ecosystems.