Supplemental Offers Possible Vehicle for Domestic “Stimulus” Programs, While the FY 2009 Budget Process Stalls
Democrats in Congress have been working on a supplemental funding bill in response to President Bush’s request for additional defense spending. The bill will likely be offered in early May, and despite opposition from Republicans and the President, Democrats on appropriations committees are looking to the legislation as a vehicle for including domestic “stimulus” programs. The President has said any increases above his Fiscal Year 2009 budget request of $108 billion would be vetoed.
Despite the threat, it might be difficult for the President to veto the legislation because it would provide significant funding for the war in Iraq through the fall elections. Democrats favor the plan since it would give the next President wide latitude on how to spend the money.
One possible stimulus inclusion that ACTE would support is legislation sponsored by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Jim Clyburn (D-SC) that would create one million new jobs for teens this summer. “The summer jobs program would help stimulate local economies, reduce unemployment, introduce young people to the working world, and increase their earning potential in the future,” says a press release written by the sponsors.
Separate from the supplemental bill, House and Senate budget negotiators continue to work to find a compromise between their versions of a Fiscal Year 2009 budget resolution. The budget resolution would set overall funding caps and give Congressional appropriators the “go ahead” for making decisions about funding for specific programs including the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. Appropriations committees are allowed to move forward without a budget resolution as of May 15, although House and Senate leaders have discussed the probability of stalling domestic appropriations bills until next January when a new administration is in office. Nevertheless, ACTE will continue to encourage an increase in Perkins funding with House and Senate appropriators.
For more details and the latest information, visit ACTE’s Budget and Appropriations Web Page.
Focus Shifts from HEA Reauthorization
While informal meetings between House and Senate education committee staff continue in an attempt to negotiate differences between the House- and Senate-passed Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization bills, recent focus on the “credit crisis” has diverted some attention. The current HEA reauthorization extension expires April 30, and while hopes had been high that a bill could be completed by this deadline, it now appears that another month-long extension will be passed. Congress now plans to complete work on the comprehensive reauthorization bill before its Memorial Day recess in late May.
In the meantime, economic concerns related to the credit markets prompted the House to pass H.R. 5715, the “Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act,” by a vote of 383-27 on April 17. The legislation is designed to ensure the continued availability of student loans in the wake of the emerging credit squeeze. It would raise annual dollar limits on federal student loans, allow parents to defer repayment of their federal loans until after the student leaves college, and expand the ability of the federal government to support lenders who have difficulty re-selling their loans. Currently, it is unclear how many, if any, students and institutions are being negatively affected by the credit markets, but this bill was a proactive step to safeguard student lending in the future. Senator Kennedy (D-MA) has introduced a similar bill in the Senate, but it is not known when that legislation might move forward.
For more details and the latest information, visit ACTE’s HEA Reauthorization Web Page.
States Submit Five-Year Perkins Plans
The implementation of the 2006 Carl D. Perkins Act took another step forward in recent weeks as states submitted five-year plans to the Department of Education. These official plans were due at the Department on April 1, and are currently undergoing review.
In recent weeks the Department of Education also published the proposed 2008 Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) for public review and comment. The CAR is the form used by states to submit accountability data to the federal government. The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium and ACTE submitted joint comments. The Department has also released Perkins and Tech Prep grant amounts for each state for FY 2008, which will be distributed on July 1, 2008 and October 1, 2008. These funding amounts and all of the guidance from the Department are available online.
For more details and the latest information, visit ACTE’s Perkins Implementation Web Page.
