Please note the Weekly Washington Brief will take a break while Congress is adjourned. Publication will resume in mid-January when Congress returns to Washington.

NAWB extends Best Wishes for Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year to its members and Weekly Brief readers!

Washington Update

On December 12th, House and Senate conferees approved an FY 2006 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill of $142.5 billion ($1 billion less than FY 2005). Conferees reached agreement after shifting around $180 million in funding for some health care programs. Funding for workforce programs was not changed. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) indicated the Senate would vote on the conference report following the House vote.

Congress must also complete the defense appropriations bill. House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MS) has indicated that he wants to attach disaster relief spending for Hurricane Katrina and an across-the-board cut of 1% in all discretionary spending to the defense appropriations bill.

As of Friday afternoon, December 16th, the Labor-HHS appropriations bill had not been brought up for a vote in the Senate. Senate GOP leaders are still having trouble mustering the votes to pass the spending bill and now say it might not come up for a vote until Sunday. That is fueling speculation that that bill could hitch a ride on the Defense appropriations measure, which also is still in deliberation. At some point Saturday, both chambers will have to pass another continuing resolution, since the current stopgap bill expires at midnight Saturday.

Grant Opportunity

Hewlett-Packard’s “2006 Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative” is intended to support K-16 educators who are using mobile technology in innovative ways. Eligible applicants include K-12 public schools and two- and four-year universities. Applications are due by February 15, 2006. For more information, see http://grants.hp.com/us/programs/tech_teaching/.

From the States

State News, Arkansas

The State of Arkansas will receive a grant of $5.9 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to prepare workers for advanced manufacturing careers. This grant, awarded to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative, will train at least 2,500 workers and help establish regional skill centers responsive to local industry needs. Partners to the grant include four community colleges, the Arkansas State WIB, and others. For more information, see http://www.doleta.gov/whatsnew/new_releases/2005-11-29.cfm.

Vol V Issue 9
December 16, 2005

IN THIS ISSUE: