House Appropriations Committee Approves Perkins Increase
Higher Education Act Reauthorization Finally Moves Forward
House Holds First 2007 WIA Hearing
House Appropriations Committee Approves Perkins Increase
The full House Appropriations Committee voted to approve its Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill on July 11, and in the process, agreed to increase Perkins Basic State Grant funding by $25 million over current FY 2007 levels. The Committee approved the increase as an amendment to the bill proposed by Rep. Peterson (R-PA), and supported by Committee leaders including Rep. Obey (D-WI). Several other amendments to the bill originally approved by the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee on June 7 (see the
June 13 Legislative Update for more details) were also approved, and exact funding levels for other programs are still emerging. The bill is expected to be debated by the full House on July 18.
The Senate bill is also awaiting floor action. On June 19, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved its FY 2008 appropriations bill, S. 1710, funding education, workforce, and health programs. The full Senate Appropriations Committee followed quickly on June 21. The Senate bill provides approximately $149.9 billion in total discretionary spending, about $1.9 billion below the bill the House Appropriations Subcommittee approved on June 7. This lower total means fewer resources than the House bill for program increases in a number of areas, although the total is still $4.7 billion above current FY 2007 funding levels.
Of the overall total, the bill provides $60.1 billion for education, about $1.6 billion below the House Subcommittee’s approved level. The largest increases in the bill go to Title I of No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Perkins Basic State Grant and Tech Prep were level funded at just below $1.3 billion, and Perkins National Programs received a small cut. The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling program did receive a small increase, although not as large as in the House bill.
Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill would not raise the maximum Pell Grant above the current level ($4,310), but Committee leaders still hope that this can be accomplished through other mechanisms. Most Workforce Investment Act programs, including those for youth, are funded at FY 2007 levels.
The next step for the Senate bill is floor debate and a vote by the full Senate, but this is not likely to occur before late July at the earliest. Both bills face numerous hurdles before enactment, and it is critical to maintain advocacy efforts on behalf of Perkins funding specifically, and education and workforce development funding generally. For more details and the latest information on the FY 2008 appropriations process, visit ACTE’s Web site at www.acteonline.org/policy/legislative_issues/funding.cfm.
Higher Education Act Reauthorization Finally Moves Forward
After several years of delay, bills to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) are moving through Congress once again. On June 13, the House Education and Labor Committee approved the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, H.R. 2669. The full House then approved the bill on July 11 by a 273 to 149 vote.
This bill was required as part of “budget reconciliation” to cut costs in federal student aid programs, which it accomplished by cutting roughly $19 billion from student loan lender subsidies and directing the money to student and institutional aid and the required budget savings. While this is not a complete HEA reauthorization bill, it does address many issues related to student financial aid and teacher preparation. It includes raising the maximum Pell Grant to $5,200 by 2011, and instituting new teacher loan forgiveness programs.
On June 20, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved two bills related to HEA reauthorization. The first, S. 1642, was approved 20-0. The Higher Education Amendments of 2007 would make changes to the Higher Education Act such as simplifying the federal financial aid application and reforming student loan policies in response to recent ethics investigations.
The second, slightly more controversial bill, the Higher Education Access Act of 2007, was approved 17-3. This bill is the Senate’s version of legislation to meet the “budget reconciliation” requirement to cut costs in federal student aid programs. It would cut student loan lender subsidies by more than $18 billion, and like the House bill, use the savings primarily for new grant and loan aid for students, with a small portion going to deficit reduction. Provisions in this bill would boost the maximum Pell Grant to $5,400 by 2011, and would enact several of ACTE’s HEA priorities, including raising the amount working students could earn and still be eligible for financial aid, and opening up Academic Competitiveness Grants to part-time and certificate students. The full Senate may begin debate on one or both of its Higher Education Act reauthorization-related bills later in July.
For more details on these bills and the latest updates on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, visit ACTE’s Web site at www.acteonline.org/policy/legislative_issues/HEA.cfm.
House Holds First 2007 WIA Hearing
In June 28, 2007, the House Education and Labor Committee’s Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness held its first 2007 hearing on the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Neither the House or Senate have introduced bills to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act, so this hearing was just the first step in what looks to be a long process.
The hearing was titled, “Workforce Investment Act: Recommendations to Improve the Effectiveness of Job Training.” Witnesses from the Government Accountability Office; the Workforce Alliance; the Center for Law and Social Policy; the National Institute for Literacy; the Arlington, Texas, Chamber of Commerce; and the Workforce Investment Board in Jacksonville, Florida, all testified on various aspects of the current workforce investment system and improvements that were needed.
Key themes included the need for more resources to be directed to training, and the critical nature of employer and industry involvement. A full Webcast of the hearing and transcripts of witness testimony can be accessed at http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/hellc062807.shtml.
In absence of WIA reauthorization legislation, the House Education and Labor Committee has moved forward on one new piece of legislation. H.R. 2847, the Green Jobs Act of 2007, was approved by the Committee on June 27. The bill was sponsored by Reps. Hilda Solis (D-CA) and John Tierney (D-MA).
According to the Committee, it would authorize, “up to $125 million in funding to establish national and state job training programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, to help address job shortages that are impairing growth in green industries, such as energy efficient buildings and construction, renewable electric power, energy efficient vehicles, and biofuels development...Funding for these programs could be used to pay for the occupational training itself, as well for support services for workers while they are in the training, like child care. Priority for these training programs would be given to veterans, displaced workers, and at-risk young people.” At this time there is no companion Senate legislation, and a date for floor debate in the House has not been set.
For the latest updates and additional information on the Workforce Investment Act, visit ACTE’s Web site at www.acteonline.org/policy/legislative_issues/wia.cfm.
