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Following its August recess, Congress
reconvened on September 4th. While public
attention focused on the hearings regarding the status
of the war in Iraq, Congress is continuing work on other
items, including the appropriations bills; high-profile
education legislation such as No Child Left Behind
and a student loan/Pell Grant package; and an
increase in the federal debt limit. Read articles
below for more information on important activities
related to our industry that have taken place since they
returned. | |
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Continuing Resolution to November
16th in
Development
The House passed all
twelve of the FY 2008 appropriations bills governing
discretionary spending prior to the August recess. The
Senate passed three appropriations bills in the past few
weeks, bringing its total to four. However, with the end of
fiscal year 2007 looming (September
30th),
House and Senate Democrats are developing a
continuing resolution package that would extend funding
of federal programs, possibly up to November
16th, which would allow more time to work on
conference agreements on FY 2008
appropriations.
The FY 2008
Labor/HHS/Education appropriations bill (H.R. 3043)
passed in the House prior to the August recess, and
would level-fund WIA programs at the FY 2007 level, but
it would rescind $335 million of current unexpended WIA
funds. The Senate
Appropriations Committee reported out its version of the
bill (with level-funding of WIA programs and without the
rescission), but the bill has not yet gone to the Senate
floor.
Senate Majority Leader Reid has been urged by his
Senate colleagues to take up the Labor/HHS/Education
bill on the floor prior to the Columbus Day Recess
(October
8th-12th).
In another development potentially
affecting the appropriations process, the nomination of
former Representative Jim Nussle (R-IA) as Office of
Management and Budget Director has been approved by the
Senate on a vote of 69-24. Nussle will be
the point man for negotiations with Congress over
spending bills, which has demonstrated a willingness in
several of the appropriations bills to exceed the
President's proposed discretionary spending
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Coalition Urges Action on WIA
Reauthorization
On August
22nd, the Local Workforce
Coalition, comprised of NAWB, the U.S. Conference of
Mayors, the National Association of Counties, the
National League of Cities, the National Workforce
Association, and USA WORKS!, sent a letter and
recommendations to House and Senate leaders urging quick
action in the further development and passage of
legislation to reauthorize WIA this Congress.
Click here to download
the letter and recommendations.
In the House, Representatives McKeon
(Ranking Minority Member of the House Education and
Labor Committee) and Keller (Ranking Minority Member of
the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong
Learning, and Competitiveness) are urging Chairman
Miller and Subcommittee Chairman Hinojosa to put the
Workforce Investment Act in the forefront of the
Committee's agenda for the 110th
Congress.
In the Senate, WIA reauthorization is stalled,
and to date there have been no Senate hearings
specifically on WIA in the 110th
Congress.
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Trade Adjustment Assistance Act May be
Extended
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max
Baucus (D-MT) intends to mark up a TAA bill this
month.
However, with the Trade Adjustment
Assistance Act due to expire on September
30th, Senate Finance Committee
Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA) is recommending
an extension of the Act for a few months to give
Congress more time to work on a
reauthorization. |
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Education Legislation on the
Forefront
The
House and Senate have passed compromise legislation that
will make student loans more affordable and increase the
Pell Grant maximum. The College
Affordability and Access Act of 2007 substantially
reduces subsidies to private student lending
institutions and directs most of those funds toward
student loan interest rate cuts (from 6.8 percent to 3.4
percent over four years) and increases the Pell grant
maximum gradually from $4,300 to $5,400. Graduates would
have to pay no more than fifteen percent of annual
income toward repayment of student loans. Student loan
debt would be reduced or forgiven for graduates who
enter into public service jobs or the military. The bill
also includes some new programs that would benefit
colleges serving minority students non-profit agencies
that assist low-income students to obtain financial aid.
The President is expected to sign the
bill.
Meanwhile,
pending reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act
has brought about a spirited discussion in hearings
before the House Education and Labor Committee. Attention has
been focused on teacher quality, accountability
standards, testing, and alternative methods for
assessing student
achievement.
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