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Budget Resolution Update The President’s proposed FY 2007 budget calls for substantial discretionary spending to go toward defense and homeland security, thus creating a scenario in which various stakeholders for domestic spending programs will be battling for their share of what remains. The Administration’s budget calls for substantial reductions in funding for workforce investment programs, as outlined in documents that are available on NAWB’s website. The proposed spending cuts are the second largest since 1980, when funds under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) program were cut from $9.4 billion to $7.8 billion. Now that the Administration has proposed its FY 2007 budget, it is up to Congress to pass a budget resolution. While the budget resolution does not go to the President for his signature—and, thus does not become law—it is an extremely important act of Congress. The budget resolution provides the framework for subsequent legislative action on the annual appropriations bills, revenue measures, debt limits, reconciliation and any other budgetary-type legislation. On Thursday, March 9th, the Senate Budget Committee narrowly approved (on a party line vote of 11-10) Chairman Judd Gregg’s (R-NH) “Chairman’s Mark” for the FY 2007 budget resolution. (See a summary of the Chairman’s Mark at http://budget.senate.gov/republican/pressarchive/MarkSummary.pdf and the Democratic minority’s views at http://budget.senate.gov/democratic/). The budget resolution is now scheduled for consideration on the Senate floor the week of March 13th, with a vote expected late in the week. In its current form, the budget resolution calls for “Function 500”discretionary spending, which funds Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services programs, to drop from $80 billion in FY ’06 to $76.2 billion in FY ’07. DON’T DELAY – SEND YOUR MESSAGE TODAY TO YOUR U.S. SENATORS -- TELL THEM TO URGE THE SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN GREGG TO ELIMINATE THE PROPOSED CUTS IN FUNCTION 500 OF THE COMMITTEE'S MARKED-UP BUDGET RESOLUTION!! House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R-IA) had also planned to complete mark-up of the House budget resolution last week, however, the Committee’s work on the resolution is not yet finished. Chairman Nussle reportedly wants to include unspecified changes to the budget process to move “in tandem” with the budget resolutions. Most sources say that the budget plan will not be ready for consideration on the House floor until after the St. Patrick’s Day recess (March 20th-24th). Further affecting the budget process, Secretary of the Treasury John Snow has asked Congress to lift the current federal debt ceiling of $8.184 billion before the March recess. Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) has scheduled a vote on the debt limit for this Thursday. Appropriations UpdateSecretary of Labor Elaine Chao testified at a hearing on February 16th before the House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee. Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula (R-OH) questioned the Administrations Career Advancement Account (CAA) proposal (which directs 75% of the total CAA/WIA Reform line item to CAAs), suggesting that it would detract from existing One-Stop Career Centers and that it lacked accountability for the use of CAA funds. Other members of the Subcommittee challenged the Administrations assumption that the workforce system could operate effectively with reduced funding, and its assertion that the system carries over substantial funds from year to year. Click here for a copy of Secretary Chaos testimony http://appropriations.house.gov/_files/ElaineChaoTestimony.pdf House Members Circulating “Dear Colleague” Letter for Perkins Career and Technical Ed Funding Reps. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), and John Spratt (D-SC) are circulating a bi-partisan “Dear Colleague” letter to their fellow Representatives urging their colleagues to join them in a letter of support for preserving funds for Perkins programs. This letter will be sent to Representatives Ralph Regula (R-OH) and David Obey (D-WI), Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee. The deadline for signatures is the end of the day on Tuesday, March 14th. A copy of the Dear Colleague letter can be viewed at http://www.acteonline.org/policy/legislative_issues/upload/House_DearColleague_FY07.pdf. Meet Your Congressional Members at Home – Soon!WHEN: During the two upcoming congressional recesses—the St. Patrick's Day recess from March 20–24, and the Easter recess from April 10-21. It is imperative that local WIBs invite their Members of Congress to visit One-Stops and/or to visit Members of Congress in their local offices. Call the local offices and issue the invitation today! Senators and Representatives need to understand and see first-hand the value that WIBs and One-Stops bring to their communities. WIBs must ensure that Members of Congress clearly understand the impact to their communities if One-Stops have to close their doors, the impact of spending cuts on dislocated workers, and the impact on the business community if WIA funding resources are no longer available to provide them with customized business services or training. To find the email address or location of your Member of Congress local office, go to NAWB's CapWiz tool on the website at http://www.capwiz.com/nawb/dbq/officials/. NAWB Forum ReduxThe 2006 Call to Action: Can We Count YOU In?The Goal and MessageTo make sure that WIA funding is on the appropriations priority list of every Member of Congress! WIB Chairs and other private-sector members of every WIB across the country must contact their Members of Congress immediately to ask them to put WIA funding on their priority appropriations list. Tell your Members of Congress what will happen to locally-based workforce investment programs in their communities if the 12% WIA reduction proposed in the 07 domestic spending bill becomes law. Members of Congress should know that $1 billion has been already cut (almost 40%) from employment and training programs since 2001. To make your point, use the NAWB Funding Reductions chart to make your point (NAWB.org). Tools:If you haven’t already done so, you can still write to your Members of Congress by clicking here to use the sample E-MAIL MESSAGE/LETTER. To email your member of Congress go to NAWB Advocacy Central CapWiz link at http://capwiz.com/nawb/home. Action on the budget resolution is taking place this week on the Senate floor, and later this month on the House floor. DONT DELAY SEND YOUR MESSAGE TODAY!! Advocacy MaterialsThe following supporting materials and documentation can be found on the “Advocacy Central” section of the NAWB website or by clicking on each link below: · Update: WIA Reauthorization – February 2006 · Analysis: Bush Administration’s FY 2007 Budget Proposal for WIA · WIA Funding Graph FY 2001 - 2007 · Call to Action Talking Points- Budget Resolution · Key Congressional Committees for Labor-HHS-Education If YOUR Members of Congress are on these key congressional committees, it is especially important to maintain contact with them year-round. You also will find the following important and useful documents on the NAWB website: · GAO 2002 Report on States’ Spending · Workforce Development’s 25-Year Historical Spending Chart · DoL Assistant Secretary Emily DeRocco’s remarks at NAWB’s 2006 Forum · Senator Patty Murray’s (D-WA) remarks at NAWB’s 2006 Forum Report Back to NAWBShare what you learn from your communications with Members of Congress:
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To find the location of your Senators' or Representatives District Office, go to NAWB's Cap-Wiz tool on the website at http://www.capwiz.com/nawb/dbq/officials/. |
Vol VI Issue 4 IN THIS ISSUE:
National Association of Workforce Boards |
