Federal Legislative Update
April 2006

April 28, 2006
April 7, 2006

News from Capitol Hill...

April 28, 2006

Senate Action on Vouchers Due Next Week;
Act To Keep the Pressure on Your Senators

As of this writing, the Senate is scheduled to take up early next week a proposal in the emergency supplemental spending bill that provides $350 million to extend the national voucher program for students displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  ACT NOW ― even if you have already ― to defeat this poorly disguised attempt to create a permanent voucher program. Public schools ― already strained beyond capacity by historic federal cuts to education ― and the children they serve cannot afford any permanent diversion of taxpayer dollars to private and religious schools.

The first-ever national voucher program currently has an expiration date of September 2006. 

So contact your Senators today . Let them know that you want them to oppose this proposal. Urge them to say "no" to this politically driven agenda for vouchers and instead dedicate the money to programs such as Title I that research shows help students in need. We need to hold our elected officials accountable. Politicians opposed to public education should not be allowed to extend vouchers beyond the emergency created by the hurricanes.

Act Now!

• Contact your Senators immediately and urge them to support any amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill that would redirect the proposed $350 million to existing education programs such as Title I. Ask them to oppose the final supplemental appropriations bill if it contains any extension of the voucher program.

Thank You for Outstanding National Response;
Thousands Act To Repeal Social Security Offsets

Between April 10 and April 21, thousands of NEA members participated in a Nationwide Call to Action to bring awareness and spark action on the repeal of Social Security offsets. Highlights included:

• More than 2,200 E-mails were sent to Members of Congress.
  
  
  
• NEA GPO/WEP cadre members and state affiliates organized E-mail and postcard drives.
  
  
  
• Four Texas districts held a call-in day on April 11.  Fliers were sent to all members via E-mail, and a notice was placed in the Texas affiliate newsletter. Packets were distributed to members, nonmembers, and community leaders. 
  
  
  
• The Kentucky Education Association   held an E-mail and postcard drive. Members sent more than 600 postcards to Congress. Some also met with Representative Davis (R-KY), who has cosponsored the repeal legislation. 
  
  
  
• Three hundred delegates at the Missouri-NEA Representative Assembly wrote postcards to Members of Congress. The M-NEA president and Missouri representatives on the NEA Board will hand-deliver the postcards. Delegates were given materials to take home and use with local members.
  
  
  
• NEA-Alaska held an E-mail campaign and encouraged members to visit their congressional representatives. The NEA-Alaska president spoke with Senator Stevens and emphasized the need for repeal. 
  
  
  
• The California Teachers Association posted information on the front page of its Web site and in their legislative alert section, and included information in its online newsletter to 40,000 members. 
  
  
  
• The Maine Education Association asked all activists, local presidents and leaders, and MEA Board members to contact House and Senate members.
  
  
  
• The Colorado Education Association distributed the call to action to all local presidents and unit chairs. Information was also included in the CEA newsletter.
  
  
  
• Five Illinois members met with Representative Biggert to discuss how to move the legislation forward.
  
  
  
• An NEA activist introduced a resolution at the American Association of University Women convention calling for repeal of the GPO and WEP.  The resolution was adopted. 

Share Your Activities with Us

• If you haven’t already, please share your activities with us so that we can follow up with your federal elected officials.  Fill out the report back form (  PDF). NOTE: The report back form cannot be filled in online.  It must be e-mailed to  CLewis@nea.org or faxed to 202-822-7309.

April 7, 2006

News from Capitol Hill...

Voucher Proposal Looms in the Senate;
ACT NOW To Protect Our Public Schools

The Senate is expected to take up during the week of April 24 a surprise proposal for $350 million to extend a one-year voucher program for students displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The proposal, sponsored by Senators Hutchinson (R-TX) and Landrieu (D-LA), is a direct assault on public schools, as they struggle with historic federal budget cuts and the exploding costs of complying with No Child Left Behind.

When Congress approved the current emergency voucher program last year — over the strong opposition of NEA ― it was for one year only. Senator Kennedy (D-MA) and other Senators gave public assurances that the program was time-specific.

Don't delay in contacting your Senators over the next two weeks while they are on recess in your state. Let them know that you want them to oppose this outrageous proposal, which would result in less of the critical services and help vital to the children served by public schools.

Students, educators and schools displaced by the hurricanes should not be pawns in an unproven, ill-considered and unnecessary voucher scheme that has nothing to do with education and everything to do with politics. Politicians opposed to public education should not be allowed to use the current time-limited voucher program as a way to extend vouchers beyond the emergency created by the hurricanes.

ACT NOW

• Don't delay. Contact your Senators and urge them to oppose the Hutchinson-Landrieu voucher proposal. Your voice matters. Together, we can turn back this harmful proposal and safeguard our students and our schools.
  
• Spread the word. E-mail this page to family, friends and colleagues. 

Victory!  House Budget Resolution Collapses

Unable to get enough votes from moderate Republicans and pro-public education Democrats, the House leadership dropped its efforts late yesterday to pass a budget resolution. The decision is a victory for children, college students, poor and working-class families, and public schools because the budget resolution, patterned after President Bush's budget proposal, would have imposed historic cuts on education and health care services in communities nationwide.

You did it once again. Your tens of thousands of calls and your e-mails, plus the fact that it's an election year, were instrumental in turning back the tide. Our unity made the difference.

Republican leadership could make another attempt on the budget resolution when the House reconvenes in late April, but that appears unlikely.

Nationwide Call to Action: Repeal Social Security Offsets

NEA needs your help to put pressure on lawmakers to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Public employees have lived with these unfair burdens long enough. It is time for Congress to act!

From April 10 to 21, Members of Congress will be on recess and back in their home districts.  This is the time they need to hear from you.

We need to draw public attention to the need for GPO/WEP repeal. Help us send a clear and forceful message that NEA is mobilized and is holding lawmakers responsible for their actions.  Take part in the Nationwide Call to Action!

To learn what you can do during the Nationwide Call to Action, access a menu of activities and a  toolkit  of resources. Take some time and organize some activities in your local area.

NOTE: Be sure to check the latest cosponsor lists for the House and Senate on the NEA Web site before your Call to Action events.