Federal Legislative Update
January 2003

January 31, 2003
January 24, 2003
January 17, 2003

1/31/03

News from Capitol Hill...

Critical vote pending on funding federal mandates and special education

What's at stake? Relief from unfunded mandates

Critical House-Senate conference committee action is pending on the long overdue spending bill for this 2003 budget year that began on October 1, 2002.

The Administration's proposals and the House-passed bill underfund the mandates of the new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and IDEA.

The Senate added significant funding for special education, putting the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) on a six-year path to fully funding the federal share of special education costs.

The Senate also added $5 billion as a block grant.

The Senate additions would help fund the new federal education mandates and relieve stressed state education budgets. But the gains could all be lost in the conference committee report.

Immediate action needed

Thank your U.S. Senators for the Senate's support of critical education funding.

If your U.S. Senator is a conferee (see list below) ask him or her to fight to keep the Senate bill's funds for education in the conference committee report, without cutting all other programs "to pay for" education.

Senate Conferees: AL-Shelby; AK-Stevens; CA-Feinstein; CO-Campbell; HI-Inouye; IA-Harkin; ID-Craig; IL-Durbin; KS-Brownback; KY-McConnell; LA-Landrieu; MD-Mikulski; MO-Bond; MS-Cochran; MT-Burns; ND-Dorgan; NH-Gregg; NM-Domenici; NV-Reid; OH-DeWine; PA-Specter; SC-Hollings; SD-Johnson; TX-Hutchinson; UT-Bennett; VT-Leahy; WA-Murray; WI-Kohl; WV-Byrd.

Ask Senators who are not conferees to urge the conference committee to keep the Senate bill's funds for education in the conference committee report, without cutting all other programs "to pay for" education.

States and local communities need the Senate additions for education or the new ESEA won't work.

States and local communities are struggling to implement the new ESEA mandates while faced with the worst fiscal crises since World War II. Students face larger classes and fewer programs. Describe a real funding need in your school, classroom or district.

Underfunding special education not only jeopardizes services to children with disabilities, but also forces local schools to cut other essential education programs to make up for the funding shortfall.

The additional $5 billion block grant dollars should be targeted to Title I, teacher and paraprofessional quality, rural education, and other specific programs critical to the success of the new ESEA.

A nation that can afford massive tax cuts can afford to provide for its children without cutting other critical programs "to pay for" education

Coming events

Social Security offsets

The original sponsors — Senator Feinstein (D-CA) in the Senate and Representatives McKeon (R-CA) and Berman (D-CA) in the House — have indicated that they intend to reintroduce in this new 108th Congress the bills to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provisions (WEP) that unfairly penalize many public employees, including many school employees. The bill would be introduced under its original name, the Social Security Fairness Act, but given new bill numbers.

Please encourage your Members of Congress to contact Senator Feinstein and/or Representatives McKeon and Berman immediately to add their support to the Social Security Fairness Act of 2003.

NEA, coalition partners voice Title IX concerns

NEA and a broad coalition of organizations have voiced to the new Commission on Opportunity in Athletics and to the Administration their concern that the gains made under Title IX not be eroded. The Commission, convened by U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige in June 2002, is scheduled to submit recommendations to the Secretary today. Expect this issue to unfold into a protracted political battle once the report is released.

Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, signed into law by President Nixon, prohibits all public and private colleges and universities that receive federal funding from discriminating on the basis of sex. Since most colleges and universities receive federal funds, most commonly through financial aid to students, nearly all must comply with Title IX.

In the decades since Title IX became the law, the number of women graduating college and entering the professions has soared and colleges have added nearly 3,800 women's teams.

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1/24/03

News from Capitol Hill...

Senate steps up to the plate — Puts special education on the road to full funding

Immediate action needed — Vote imminent

What's at stake? Holding on to the gains!

The Senate last night passed its version of the long overdue spending bill for this budget year, Fiscal Year 2003 that began on October 1, 2002.

The good news: Senate bill eases state education budgets

The Senate added significant funding for special education, putting the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) on a six-year path to full funding (Dodd (D-CT), Gregg (R-NH) Amendment).

The Senate also added $5 billion as a block grant. (Gregg (R-NH) Amendment)

See the funding relief these amendments would bring to your state.

Why is action needed?

We've made a first down. We haven't yet won the game. The Senate gains could all be lost in the Conference Committee's report.

A House-Senate Conference Committee takes up the Senate and House spending bills the week of January 26. The Administration's proposals and the House-passed bill underfund the mandates of the new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and IDEA.

The $5 billion block grant comes with two liabilities: 1) As a block grant, it is not targeted to Title I reading and math services that now reach only some 40 percent of eligible students and to professional development opportunities for teachers and support staff, programs critical to the new ESEA's success. 2) All other programs are cut to "pay for" education.

The immediate action needed

Tell your U.S. Representatives and Senators: States and local communities need the Senate additions for education or the new ESEA won't work. Describe a real funding need in your school, classroom, or district.

States and local communities are struggling to implement the new federal education mandates while faced with the worst fiscal crises since World War II. Students face larger classes and fewer programs.

Underfunding special education not only jeopardizes services to children with disabilities, but also forces local schools to cut other essential education programs to make up for the special education funding shortfall.

The additional $5 billion block grant dollars should be targeted to Title I, teacher and paraprofessional quality and other specific programs critical to the success of the new ESEA.

Cutting other critical programs "to pay for" education is akin to starving a child to fund medical care. A nation that can afford massive tax cuts can afford to provide for its children.

Why immediate action

• This year's spending bill is long overdue. The vote is likely to come the week of January 26.
• The impact is immediate and real for our students in our classrooms, in our local schools, and in our communities.
• If it's going to happen, it's up to US.
• Contact your Members of Congress.

Coming events

Social Security offsets

The original sponsors — Senator Feinstein (D-CA) in the Senate and Representatives McKeon (R-CA) and Berman (D-CA) in the House — have indicated that they intend to reintroduce in this new 108th Congress the bills to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provisions (WEP) that unfairly penalize many public employees, including many school employees. The bill would be introduced under its original name, the Social Security Fairness Act, but given new bill numbers.

Please encourage your Members of Congress to contact Senator Feinstein and/or Reps. McKeon and Berman immediately to add their support to the Social Security Fairness Act of 2003. See more on GPO/WEP.

Health insurance protection for mental health needs

On January 30, Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Representatives Jim Ramstad (R-MN) and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) will reintroduce the "Paul Wellstone Mental Health Parity Act" to ban insurance discrimination against people with mental health needs.

Common insurance discrimination practices force many adults and children to forego needed help. The late Senator Wellstone was an impassioned advocate. His colleagues chose to name the bill in his honor.

Ask your Members of Congress to contact the House or Senate sponsors to offer their support for this important bipartisan health care bill.

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1/17/03

News from Capitol Hill...

"The President can't have it both ways -- take credit for signing the bill and then turn around and refuse to fund it." Senator Richard Durbin (IL)

Last call!

Conference Committee — The last chance to win funding for new federal mandates:

Tell Congress — Senators and Representatives: "Without resources, school improvement programs don't work."

Describe one real funding need in your school, classroom or district.

States need the resources approved in the "No Child Left Behind Act." Our students can't wait.

What's at stake?

Will new unfunded federal mandates and unkept promises set up schools for failure?

Where we are

In the second quarter of this budget year — the fiscal year that began October 1, we still do not have a budget. The last Congress went home in December without adopting a budget. The FY 2003 budget is this new Congress' first order of business. The budget is headed to a House/Senate Conference Committee.

States and local communities are grappling with the costs of funding the new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in the face of the worst state fiscal crises since World War II. Students face larger classes and fewer programs; parents pay new fees; school employees struggle with salary freezes and layoffs.

The Proposals on the Table: White House officials say the President is still strongly committed to the new ESEA (the "No Child Left Behind" Act), but it would be funded at levels sharply below what Congress set in the bill. The House bill largely reflects the President's budget.

The Senate defeated by a vote of 46-51 Senator Kennedy's amendment that would have provided a real boost to states for Title I, IDEA and college students. All Republicans (with Senator Hagel (NE) absent) plus Senator Miller (D-GA) voted against the Kennedy Amendment. The Senate approved a Gregg amendment (R-NH) that adds block grant education dollars, but also cuts all education programs.

Bottom Line: It's time for Congress to 'get real' about education funding.

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