This was a vote on an amendment by Rep. John Kline (R-MN) prohibiting the use of funds provided by a “continuing resolution” (which funded government agencies and programs for the remainder of the year) for enforcing an Education Department regulation which withheld financial aid for career education programs that, according to critics (including the Obama administration), left students in debt and without the possibility of gainful employment. (These schools, which include Kaplan University and Capella University, are sometimes referred to as “proprietary schools” or “career colleges.”) This amendment was offered to a continuing resolution funding the federal government through September 2011, and cutting $61 billion in federal funding for many government programs.

Kline urged support for his amendment: “More than 3 million students attend proprietary schools. These schools, also known as for-profit schools or career colleges, provide students with skills that can be applied immediately to specific jobs in the workforce. With more than 6 million workers unemployed for more than 26 weeks, proprietary schools address a critical need in today's economy. These schools also help address the needs of local communities. Proprietary institutions are nimble and easily adapt to the demands of an ever-changing local economy…For years, proprietary schools have served young adults, single parents, first-generation college students, and low-income individuals. They have opened doors to bright futures and strengthened our economy.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) opposed the amendment: “If we are going to build the workforce of the future, we need to increase the number of Americans with college degrees. But students should not have to mortgage their futures to pay for college, and they should be secure in knowing that when they graduate, they will have a degree or a credential that will help them to secure a job and to repay their student loans. Leaving college without a credential or with one that is of little value in the job market can leave students unable to climb out of debt. And that is what happens to far too many students who have been taken in by the aggressive marketing tactics of for-profit colleges.”

The House agreed to this amendment by a vote of 289-136. Voting “yea” were 231 Republicans and 58 Democrats. 132 Democrats—including a majority of progressives—and 4 Republicans voted “nay. As a result, the House rejected an amendment prohibiting the use of funds provided by a continuing resolution for enforcing an Education Department regulation that withheld financial aid for career education programs that, according to critics, left students in debt and without the possibility of gainful employment.