Federal Legislative Update
May 2006

May 25, 2006

News from Capitol Hill...

Urge Congress to Renew & Restore Voting Rights Act Protections

Key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, the nation's most successful law in ensuring equal access to the voting booth for all Americans, are at risk unless the Senate and House act soon. To keep the vital protections for political participation in place, we must urge Congress to bring the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 (H.R. 9 and S. 2703) to the floor for a vote.

The right to vote, and to have one's vote counted, is the fundamental building block of a democratic society. Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act in 1965 in response to discrimination such as literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation, threats and violence. Yet, despite the success of the VRA, voter inequities, disparities, and obstacles remain for far too many voters.

The three provisions set to expire next year are critical to the continued protection of voting rights. Section 5 prevents implementation of voting practices with a discriminatory purpose or effect. Section 203 requires certain jurisdictions to provide language assistance to voters in areas with high concentrations of citizens who are limited-English-proficient and illiterate. Sections 6 through 9 authorize the federal government to use election observers to monitor VRA compliance.

H.R. 9 and S. 2703 would renew these sections for 25 years.

TAKE ACTION

• Urge your Representative  to push for immediate action to bring H.R. 9 to the floor for a vote and to oppose any weakening amendments.
  
  
• Urge your Senators  to cosponsor S. 2703 and to bring the bill to the floor for a vote without delay.
  
  
• Write your local newspaper during Congress' Memorial Day Recess (May 29 – June 2) to spread the word about the importance of the expiring Voting Rights Act provisions to our nation's democracy and the need for Congress to act swiftly.

May 19, 2006

News from Capitol Hill...

Your Calls for Students, Schools
Lead to Education Funding Gain

In response to your continual pressure and a stand by a group of moderate Republicans, the House passed a budget resolution, 218-210, at 1 a.m. yesterday that provides $4.1 billion in new funding for education and health care programs.  As part of the deal to win moderate votes, House leaders also signed an agreement that commits them to seeking an additional $3.1 billion for education and health care as the budget process moves forward.

Led by Mike Castle (DE), Nancy Johnson (CT) and Dave Reichert (WA), the moderate Republicans successfully withstood repeated attempts by House leaders to persuade them to support a budget proposal that would have imposed painful cuts on public education, health care and nutrition assistance. Your calls and those from other advocates of children and public schools were pivotal in encouraging the moderates and others to stand firm for a less harmful budget blueprint. 

To view how your member of Congress voted, visit http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll158.xml.

The moderate Republicans received commitments from House leaders that the additional $3.1 billion will not come from cuts to mandatory education and health care programs that help children, people with disabilities, the elderly, low-income families and college students.

House Republican moderates and leaders will continue working in the weeks and months ahead to match the $7 billion in new education and health care funding included in the Senate budget. With your calls and e-mails, we will hold them to their commitment.

You made a big difference for children and public schools.

Support a National Museum to Honor Women

Join a growing national push to create a permanent site for the National Women's History Museum by urging your Representative to support legislation passed in the Senate (S. 1501).  The legislation would secure a building where the contributions, achievements and legacy of women to our nation ― including pioneers in public education ― would be acknowledged and memorialized.

Thanks to the efforts of many, a vacant federal building that is near the national museums in our nation's capital has been identified. Congress can put this building to good use by honoring women's contributions to our nation through the National Women's History Museum, an educational institution dedicated to shining a light on the many ways that women have shaped our culture.

TAKE ACTION

Urge your Representative to support a permanent site for the National Women's History Museum in our nation's capital. Legislation to establish a site has been passed already in the Senate (S. 1501).

5/15/06

News from Capitol Hill...

You Did It! House Pulls Bad Budget

While Leaders Scramble for Votes

House Republican leaders, lacking the votes they need to pass a budget that imposes painful cuts on public education, health care and nutrition assistance, were forced to postpone a vote on the budget blueprint Thursday night. Your calls and those from thousands of other people to their U.S. Representatives helped derail a budget resolution that hits children, families and public schools especially hard.

Refusing to give up on the possibility of a vote this week, House Republican leaders are continuing negotiations with a group of 15 moderate GOP lawmakers led by Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE). The moderates are holding firm for an additional $7 billion in funds for education and health care programs. The $7 billion increase is modeled after the one in the Senate budget resolution.

Stay tuned. We might have to make another push this week to encourage our elected officials to stand strong against any budget that places an unfair burden on children, families and public schools and that does not include an additional $7 billion for education and health care.

5/8/06

News from Capitol Hill...

Your E-mails, Phone Calls Lead to Victory!
Senate Strips Vouchers from Spending Bill

Responding to your repeated phone calls and E-mails, the Senate rejected late last week a proposal to extend the one-year, one-time emergency private and religious school voucher program for students displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Instead, the $350 million that would have gone to vouchers will be redirected through the public schools that have taken in the displaced students.

"This marks the end of the national voucher program," said NEA President Reg Weaver. "Some lawmakers took advantage of the disaster caused by the hurricanes to push their own political agenda. The federal voucher program offered aid to students with one hand, and took money from underfunded public schools with the other."

The proposal in the emergency supplemental spending bill redirects the $350 million away from the voucher program and into Title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, where it would help public schools aid displaced students. Private and religious schools would only be eligible to receive services provided through public schools and would not receive any direct funding.

Thank you for leading the way in turning back this proposal to make vouchers permanent and for keeping our focus on the students affected students by the hurricanes.

Help Secure Vitally Needed School Funding

Contact your Senators and Representative today to urge them to pass an appropriations (spending) bill for fiscal year 2007 that would provide an additional $7 billion for education and health programs. An E-mail to your members of Congress would give children, college students and public schools a fighting chance to get a funding increase that will result in new funding to our classrooms.

The House could take up its spending bill as early as this Thursday.

Our children, families and schools are already facing painful cutbacks in light of growing enrollments, outdated facilities, and the escalating costs of complying with No Child Left Behind. Urge your elected officials to support additional funding for education and health care programs that help our schoolchildren and college students and protect the most vulnerable among us.

ACT NOW

Contact your Senators and Representative now and urge them to support an appropriations bill that provides an additional $7 billion for education and health care programs.