March 16, 2007

Time is of the essence. Over the next few weeks, the House and Senate will be finalizing the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Budget Resolution, a spending outline that will determine whether the total budget is big enough to provide adequate funding for education and workforce development needs. The budget resolution sets the total dollars to be available for all the services funded by the federal government. While the budget resolution does not make decisions about individual programs, if the total is set too low, the budget resolution will force appropriators to cut programs in order to meet the amount budgeted under the budget resolution.

It is critical to have the maximum amount of funding possible included in the budget resolution to ensure that the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee has resources to provide desperately needed funding increases for programs like Perkins, as well as other education, health, and labor initiatives. In order to provide a coordinated message on these issues, a broad coalition of human services groups in areas such as education, housing, health care, workforce development, nutrition, and child development are participating in a series of budget call-in days.  The education call-in day is scheduled for Monday, March 19, and it is important to lend CTE’s voice to these advocacy efforts. 

Action Needed:

Call your legislators toll-free on MONDAY, MARCH 19, and help convince Congress that it must provide enough funding so that more people get the health care, housing, education, nutrition, and other services they need.

Step 1: Call 1-800-459-1887 and ask the Capitol Switchboard operator to connect you to your member of Congress' office. If you don't know your Representative's or Senators' names go to http:capwiz.com/acte/home.

Step 2: Make a call - to your Representative. Deliver this message to the staffer that answers the phone:

Please work to pass a budget resolution that includes a significant spending increase for pressing education and workforce development needs. The future of American competitiveness and economic security depends on significant new investments in these areas.

You may also want to include specific examples of how federal funding assists CTE programs in your area and improves student achievement.

 

Step 3:  Make a call to each of your Senators.  Let them know that the resolution approved by the Senate Budget Committee is a step in the right direction.