ACTE Legislative Alert: House Subcommittee Proposes Cut to Perkins

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June 11, 2007

Late last week the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education released its requested funding levels for education programs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008.

The Subcommittee’s requested amount for Perkins funding for FY 2008 is $1.302 billion. This is a slight cut from FY 2007 funding, which was $1.304 billion. While Basic State Grant and Tech Prep funding remain the same, a cut was made to National Programs (See chart). National programs include important activities such as the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, the National Assessment of Career and Technical Education, and support for other technical assistance and dissemination activities.

ACTE is working with other national organizations and with Members of Congress on the Appropriations Committees to get an increase for Perkins programs. We are hopeful that this strategy will pay off in the full House Appropriations Committee mark-up and in future Senate action. ACTE is doing everything it can to work for a $1.7 billion Perkins funding level, however your help is extremely critical. The House subcommittee bill can be changed when the full committee marks up its bill!

Action Needed:

If your Member of Congress is on the House Appropriations Committee, call his or her office and express that we oppose a bill that does not include an increase in funding for Perkins.
Tell your Member of Congress (Appropriator or not) that even though CTE enrollment rates and costs of delivering services have increased substantially since the late ‘90s, the program is currently funded at less than FY 2002 levels.
Tell your Member of Congress that the career and technical education programs funded by Perkins provide effective and proven links to skills-building opportunities and improved employment outcomes; that employers in your community continue to need well-trained workers with good skills; and that CTE serves many in your community (be specific).
Thank your Member of Congress for supporting the Perkins programs in the past.

For more information on the federal budget and appropriations process, including state specific information and talking points, please visit the federal funding section of ACTE's Web site.