This week, the House Appropriations Committee voted to advance the chamber’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 education funding bill. The measure was approved by the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations subcommittee in June, but the markup to consider the bill in the full appropriations committee was twice postponed. As we previously reported, the bill proposes to increase funding for the Perkins Basic State Grant by $102 million above the current level—bringing the total to nearly $1.3 billion. Additionally, Perkins National Programs would be increased by approximately $13 million in the House bill. These additional funds for National Programs would be earmarked for a new grant competition that would focus on supporting CTE in STEM fields. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), chairman of the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations subcommittee, noted that the proposed funding increase for Perkins would help ensure that students obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for success in a rewarding career.
The House bill significantly differs from the FY 2019 education funding bill that was approved by the appropriations committee in the Senate, which proposes to maintain current levels of funding for Perkins programs. It is an important to let lawmakers know that you want to see this much-needed increase in Perkins funding. Please take a few minutes to contact your Members of Congress through our CTE Action Center.
