Federal Legislative Update
November 2005

November 18, 2005

News from Capitol Hill...

Amid Uncertain Ed Funding Prospects, Schools Mark Three Wins Worth Noting

As this update was being written, many questions remained about when Congress would vote on funding of programs that serve children, students and public schools, and how much the funding levels would be. But amid the uncertainty, students and public schools marked three victories that came about because you and others voiced your concern to your Senators and Representatives.

Victory No. 1: Vouchers Quashed

A group of 23 moderate House Republicans, led by Judy Biggert of Illinois, bucked its party's leaders last week and defeated an effort to include a private school voucher plan in the House budget reconciliation bill. Biggert, who serves on the House Education Committee, convinced 22 of her colleagues to sign on to a letter that opposed adding any amendment to the reconciliation bill that included a voucher plan. Education Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH) attempted to add the amendment despite his voucher proposal failing to pass in the Education Committee. Boehner's amendment would have created the first national private and religious school voucher program.

The 22 Representatives who signed Biggert's letter:

If your Representative is among this courageous band of 23, take a moment and send a thank- you note for opposing private school vouchers and standing up for students and public schools.

Victory No. 2: E-Rate Funding Flow Extended for a Year

The Senate approved this week a Commerce, Justice, State Conference Report (94-5) that contains a one-year exemption from an accounting rule, allowing E-Rate funds to continue to flow uninterrupted to schools and libraries.

Since its inception in 1996, the number of schools and libraries connected to the Internet has grown from 3 percent to 92 percent. The extension would have not been possible without the bipartisan leadership of Senators Rockefeller (D-WV), Snowe (R-ME), Stevens (R-AK) and Inouye (D-HI), and Representatives Cubin (R-WY) and Gonzalez (D-TX). The bill now goes to the White House for the President's signature.

Victory No. 3: House Defeats Anemic Education Spending Bill

A revolt by 22 Republicans yesterday led to House rejection of the 2006 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education spending bill. The vote was 209-224.

NEA opposed the bill for several reasons, including:

• Total education funding fell below both the House and Senate levels - which themselves offered historically small increases.
• Title I received an increase of 0.8 percent. The funding level would have been especially harmful to the 11,000 public schools that face federal sanctions under the No Child Left Behind Act.
• The funding level for special education would have reduced the federal share of funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to 18 percent, far below the promised 40 percent of the costs of providing services to students.
• Education Technology was cut by 45 percent despite the fact that one in four states has no dedicated technology funds to track student achievement data or improve teachers' use of technology.
• The Pell Grant maximum remained flat at $4,050. When the Pell Grant program was first created, the maximum grant for the poorest students covered 84 percent of the cost of a public four-year college. Today, it covers only 39 percent.
• It included a $100 million national merit pay program that would have diverted scarce resources away from existing programs that are proven and that are already underfunded.

The next steps are unclear. Conferees might go back to the table to craft a new agreement, or Congress could pass a long-term "continuing resolution" to keep programs running. Stay tuned.

11/4/05

News from Capitol Hill...

SHAME! Senate Approves Vouchers

House Vote Next Week . . . Tell 'Em No

Yesterday, on a voice vote, the Senate passed an amendment to the budget reconciliation bill that sets up the first national voucher program. The amendment, offered by Senator Enzi (R-WY) and modeled on legislation by Senators Alexander (R-TN), Enzi, Kennedy (D-MA) and Dodd (D-CT), allows direct cash payments of federal dollars to private and religious schools.

The battle against vouchers continues in the House next week, where Education Committee Chairman Boehner (R-OH) will likely seek to add his voucher plan to the House budget reconciliation bill. The House is scheduled to consider the budget plan next week.

Act Now!

• Urge your Representative to oppose any amendment to the House budget reconciliation bill that offers a private and religious school voucher plan. Divisive private and religious school vouchers fail to accomplish the most important objective of post-hurricane education relief: to provide immediate, workable, efficient and equitable relief to all affected students
• Call your Representative at 202-224-3121. Be patient and persistent.

Restore Budget Cuts: Help Children, Elderly, People with Disabilities and the Poor

Join with thousands of other advocates Wednesday, November 9, and flood the Senate and House of Representatives with phone calls (1-800-426-8073) and e-mails asking that Members of Congress restore budget cuts and invest in public education and social safety net programs that serve children, students, the poor, elderly, sick and hungry. The House and Senate are considering deep budget cuts in services vital to middle-class and low-income families, including Medicaid, food stamps, student loans, foster care, and assistance for people with disabilities.

Republican leaders say the cuts in the budget bills ($35 billion in the Senate and $53.9 billion in the House) are needed to pay for hurricane relief efforts. Yet, the same leaders hope to pass in the next several weeks $70 billion in tax breaks largely for the privileged.

Act Now!

• Call your Senators and Representative to urge them to restore the cuts to public education, Medicare, Medicaid, free and reduced-price school meals, and student aid. If you don't know who your elected officials are, click here. The number is 1-800-426-8073.
• E-mail your Senators and Representative.

Victory! E-Rate Extension Nears

Last night Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations conferees approved the retention of a Senate provision that would allow E-Rate funds to continue to flow uninterrupted to schools and libraries for another year. While no date has been set for the vote on final passage of the Conference Report, it appears very likely to pass when it is brought to the floor.

Bipartisan leadership from Senators Snowe (R-ME), Rockefeller (D-WV), Stevens (R-AK) and Inouye (D-HI) in the Senate and Representatives Cubin (R-WY) and Gonzalez (D-TX) paved the road for this all-but-assured victory. The extension will allow E-Rate funds to continue to flow uninterrupted at least another year to public and private schools, as well as public libraries. This ensures that the education and library community will continue to be connected to the Internet and be able to maintain existing networks and services for all students and communities in America.