ACTE Legislative Alert: Ask Your Members of Congress to Complete Work on Perkins Reauthorization

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July 13, 2006

The Issue:

On July 12, the House of Representatives took the next step toward Perkins Act reauthorization when it officially appointed key House Members (see, Additional Background) to serve on a “conference committee” that is responsible for reconciling the differences between the House- and Senate-passed Perkins reauthorization bills (H.R. 366 and S. 250). On July 13, the Senate followed suit by announcing its conferees, thus allowing the conference committee to formally meet to consider and hopefully “report out” a compromise bill for final Congressional consideration and passage.

Although many of the negotiations have already been completed by staff, who have worked informally on the compromise during the previous year, it is critical that the “conferees” meet and Congress passes a final Perkins reauthorization bill as soon as possible. Congress is scheduled on July 28 to adjourn for a month-long recess. After Labor Day, Congress will briefly resume work in September before adjourning for the mid-term elections. If work on the bill is not complete before the August recess, it is unlikely that Congress will complete a Perkins reauthorization bill this year. Furthermore, if the bill is not completed before final adjournment of 109th Congress at the end of 2006, the Perkins reauthorization process will have to start over in 2007from square one in the newly-elected 110th Congress.

Action Needed:

Please call your Members of Congress as soon as possible with the following messages:

For Senators –

I have heard that the House has appointed conferees to negotiate the final Perkins reauthorization bill. I urge the Senate to follow course this week by appointing its own conferees.
Please continue to push to pass a final Perkins reauthorization bill before Congress adjourns for the August recess. I am growing concerned about the increasing possibility that Congress will run out of time this year before passing a final Perkins reauthorization bill.
I am concerned that any delays to the legislative process could result in the loss of positive improvements in H.R. 366 and S.250.
Perkins reauthorization needs to be done this year! The reauthorization of the Perkins Act, including its positive reforms and message, is critical to CTE programs in my state and community.

For Representatives –

I am excited about the House appointment of conferees to negotiate the final Perkins reauthorization bill.
Please continue to push to pass a final Perkins reauthorization bill before Congress adjourns for the August recess. I am growing concerned about the increasing possibility that Congress will run out of time this year before passing a final Perkins reauthorization bill.
I am concerned that any delays to the legislative process could result in the loss of positive improvements in H.R. 366 and S.250.
Perkins reauthorization needs to be done this year! The reauthorization of the Perkins Act, including its positive reforms and message, is critical to CTE programs in my state and community.

Particularly if one of your Members of Congress is one of the Representatives appointed to the conference committee on July 12, or a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee (see, Additional Background for lists) this action is especially critical.

However, even if your Members of Congress are not House “conferees” or members of the Senate HELP Committee, it is very important that all Members of Congress hear – loud and clear – that Perkins Act reauthorization must be completed by Congress this year. Ask these Members of Congress to relay your message to members of the conference committee, the HELP Committee, and House and Senate leaders.

Due to the urgent nature of this action, phone calls are the best method of communication. (Phone numbers for your Members of Congress can be found at http://capwiz.com/acte/home/.) For each office, ask to speak to the staff person who handles education issues. Do not forget to identify yourself as a constituent.

Additionally, if you have an established relationship with a staff person in a Member’s office, and have their individual e-mail address, e-mail is also an extremely effective way of making your voice heard.

Additional Background:

Members of the House appointed to the conference committee include:

Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA), Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN), Rep. Tom Osborne (R-NE), Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI).

Members of the Senate appointed to the conference committee include:

Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY), Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN), Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH), Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Sen. James Jeffords (I-VT), Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY).