September 24, 1999
September 17, 1999
September 10, 1999

9/24/99
[return to top]

News from Capitol Hill...

Notable Quote:
“School is back in session, and people are talking about improving education. Only Congress is not listening.” Senator Tom Harkin, Iowa

EDUCATION FUNDING – THE BOTTOM LINE IS RED!

The House began work on the long-stalled education funding bill yesterday. The appropriations subcommittee:

  • slashed $206 million from current spending levels and $1.4 billion from the President's education budget.

  • cut the education budget throughout for the only major funding increase, $500 million for special education ("robbing Peter to pay Paul").

  • struck blows at class size reduction and Goals 2000 standards-based reform by rolling program funds into block grants.

Next: The bill goes to the full House Appropriations Committee next week, but Congress watchers speculate that the bill will not reach the House floor for action. All signs point to a "budget train wreck," i.e., no agreement when the current budget year ends September 30.

Probable scenario (and no easy answers): Congress will adopt a "continuing resolution", i.e., temporary spending authority, to avoid a government shutdown on October 1. Prolonged continuing resolutions can bring local budget and program planning to a halt, forcing layoff notices.

Staying On Message
Congress should make an increased investment in education a top budget priority. School enrollments continue to grow while students struggle to learn in overcrowded and outmoded school facilities. More children have special needs. In times like these, our lawmakers should stand up for children and public education. Congress is falling short.

Kids have the most to lose when Congress doesn't support education funding. Our challenge this week is to reinforce the message: An increased investment in education must be a top budget priority. Send a message to Congress. Urge your colleagues, family and friends to send messages, too. http://www.nea.org/lac/funding

A Baker's Dozen
Top reasons why the House appropriations bill for Labor-HHS-Education fails children and education

At a time of record surpluses and overwhelming public support for increased investments in education, the plan…

  1. Cuts education funding by $206 million below current levels, and $1.4 billion below President's budget.

  2. Eliminates the $1.2 billion class size reduction program, violating the commitment made by Congress last year to reduce class size in early elementary grades with an additional 100,000 quality teachers.

  3. Eliminates the $491 million Goals 2000 program for standards-based reforms.

  4. Undermines teacher professional development by combining the $335 million Eisenhower Professional Development program into a block grant with class size reduction and Goals 2000, and cutting total funding by 10 percent ($-200 million).

  5. Hinders efforts to close the achievement gap of disadvantaged students by freezing Title I at current levels, $326 million below the President's request. [Note: The Congressional Research Service estimates that Title I would need an increase of $16 billion to fully serve all eligible children.]

  6. Reduces the ability of schools to offer high quality after-school programs that provide a safe and secure environment and offer students extra help to improve achievement, by cutting $300 million from the President's request.

  7. Obstructs efforts to integrate technology into the classroom by eliminating the $75 million Teacher Technology Training Program.

  8. Sets back national efforts to ensure that all students can read by cutting funds for the Reading Excellence Act to 23 percent below current levels ($-60 million), and 30 percent below the President's request.

  9. Denies young students help in preparing early for success in college by eliminating the $120 million GEAR-UP program, which the President's budget proposed to double.

  10. Hinders efforts to help limited-English proficient (LEP) students master English language skills by dropping the proposed $25 million increase in professional development support for bilingual education teachers.

  11. Makes it more difficult for students to pay for college by eliminating, freezing and cutting student assistance, work-study, and scholarship programs.

  12. Weakens the national effort to promote school readiness by reducing Head Start funding by $507 million below the President's request.

  13. Scales back efforts to help non-college bound students by eliminating School-to-Work program ($-110 million), and freezing Vocational Education.

9/17/99
[return to top]

News from Capitol Hill...

Congress Watch

  • Tax Bill - Prognosis: Dead
  • Education Funding - Stalled
  • Modern Schools - House Majority Support; Pending
  • Juvenile Justice - Stalled in Conference Committee
    (Gun Safety Amendments)
  • ESEA - Block Grant Proposals Threaten Programs.
    Action Calendar - Late September
  • Class Size - Block Grant Proposals a Threat

NEA PRESIDENT TAKES THE MESSAGE TO CONGRESS

"It is time for Congress to follow the will of the public and make funding public education a top priority for the 21st century," NEA President Bob Chase told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) this week. Chase went before the committee to advocate an increased national investment in education. States will be unable to make up for shortfalls in federal funding, he told senators. Despite current surpluses, a recent NEA study found that almost half the states will have structural budget deficits during the next decade. "Rather than cut funding to meet artificial spending caps or provide unrealistic tax cuts, Congress should provide a significant funding increase for critical programs such as Title I and special education so that no eligible child is left behind," Chase said.
Join President Chase. Urge Congress to invest in education!

EDUCATION FUNDING STALLS

Facing deep spending cuts, the House and Senate education funding subcommittees postponed action. Despite the apparent demise of the tax bill, the budget ax still threatens education programs.

Spending caps are giving Congress a hurricane-strength headache. The caps -- limits on spending agreed to by the president and Congress in the 1997 Balanced Budget Agreement -- hold spending down below the level necessary merely to sustain current programs. In order to fund other programs and services without exceeding the limit on total spending, Congress has used education, health and labor funding as a piggy bank. The dollars left “fall impossibly short of funding levels necessary to insure even basic services in education, health and labor,” according to the United States Office of Management and Budget.

Democrats and Republicans agree that the caps are unrealistic and do not reflect today's strong economy, but neither wants to be first to propose lifting them. The budget process is stalled with the new fiscal year beginning October 1. House subcommittee chairman John Porter (R-IL) told the media, “ I still believe the caps are going to have to be raised, and the question is whether you do it honestly or whether you put into place all kinds of gimmicks, including emergencies and forward funding and the like.”

"Smoke and mirrors" budgeting. Funding for some programs, such as the Census, has been labeled “emergency spending” outside the caps. To fund education, health, and labor programs, congressional leaders are exploring “forward funding,” i.e., delaying the actual pay out of some budgeted funds and counting those dollars towards the next fiscal year’s caps. The FY 2001 spending caps, however, are even lower than in FY 2000. "Forward funding," without adjusting the spending caps, simply puts off reckoning day.

Continuing resolutions and pink slips. The old budget impasse standby, “continuing resolutions,” temporarily continues funding until a budget agreement is reached. Continuing resolutions, however, leave school districts unable to plan. Without confirmed funding, districts are forced to issue layoff letters.

A funding winner. The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) this week celebrated the year’s funding winner – the E-rate! CEF gave a special recognition award to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman William Kennard for his outstanding advocacy. "The E-rate program will wire thousands of schools and libraries to the Internet ensuring that all students have access to this new learning tool,” CEF president and NEA lobbyist Joel Packer noted. “Without the efforts of William Kennard, funding for the E-rate program at the full allowable amount would not have been possible," NEA lobbyist Jon Bernstein said. CEF presented prestigious awards for outstanding education advocacy to Senator Ted Kennedy (MA), Representative David Obey (WI), and Representative John Porter (IL).

MEASURING UP FOR OUR NEEDIEST STUDENTS...

A living wage. Senator Ted Kennedy is expected to offer a minimum-wage amendment to a bankruptcy bill that will come to the Senate floor the week of September 20. A boost in the minimum wage to $6.15 an hour can make a significant difference in reducing poverty. Nearly three-quarters of employees who would benefit are adults, 60 percent are women, and nearly half work full-time. Our students are a part of many of these households. Send a message to your U.S. Senators. Tell them that for our students, a higher minimum wage can mean healthier, happier homes and the opportunity to come to school ready to learn

Health care. Under Welfare Reform, children are no longer automatically enrolled in Medicaid when a family applies for dependent child benefits. This week, NEA and numerous child advocacy groups jointly urged Congress to continue funding to assist states with costs, outreach, and enrollment, so that children receive the Medicaid services they need and the Children's Health Insurance Program coverage they deserve. Urge your member of Congress to extend the sunset on the so-called "Medicaid-TANF delinking fund.” Healthy children are better learners.

9/10/99
[return to top]

News from Capitol Hill...

VOUCHERS AS FUNDING AND TAX POLICY

Congress says with one voice that education is a national priority. But what it does belies what it says.

Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois touted the tax package Congress adopted before the August recess with "Education Savings Accounts," i.e. non-public school tuition tax breaks, and block grants directed by governors in lieu of education program funds as evidence of a commitment to improving education in America. “Freedom plus accountability equals results," the Speaker said. "We don’t need to have a brand new school in every district," he added. "Dollars aren’t the only answer….” House leaders chose a celebration visit to the Edison-Friendship Charter School in Washington D.C. to promote their program.

The $792 billion 10-year tax cut bill

  • assumes caps on spending that result in drastic cuts in education funding;
  • includes "education tax savings," i.e., vouchers for K-12 nonpublic school tuition in the form of tax breaks; and
  • omits tax credits for school modernization and construction to repair, update, and relieve overcrowding in our schools.

Funding for the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Programs Subcommittee is $16 billion below current funding levels. This reduction translates to an 18 percent cut in education programs.

Projected Casualties

"Kids stand to lose the most from the budget fight." Senator Paul Wellstone (MN)

  • Title I - 5.9 million children in high-poverty communities could lose academic support.
  • Reading Initiatives - 480,000 children could be denied assistance currently available under the Reading Excellence Program.
  • Head Start - 430,000 children could lose early childhood and preschool services.
  • After-School Programs/Summer School - 215,000 students could lose access.
  • IDEA - Children with disabilities’ funding support could be cut by $3.4 billion by the 10th year of the 10-year $792 billion tax “refund” bill.
  • Class Size/School Facilities - Millions of children could be in overcrowded classrooms without funds for additional teachers to reduce class size and without school construction bond tax credits to help states and local communities repair and build schools.
  • Student Aid- Nearly 4 million low- and middle-income students could find college less affordable by slashing Pell Grants

Budget Ax Threatens Education

“Send a Message to Congress” Campaign

Our help is urgently needed to generate messages to Congress in support of increasing our national investment in education programs and blocking cuts or freezes. The Committee for Education Funding and its member organizations launched a national campaign this week to stop projected 18 percent education funding cuts, the largest ever. Cuts would continue for the next decade. NEA is a charter member of the coalition. Other coalition members supporting the national campaign include the International Reading Association, National School Boards Association, American Library Association, Council of Great City Schools, National Association of State Directors of Special Education, the College Board, and more.

Send a Message to Congress

Members of Congress need to hear strong opposition to education cuts and strong support for increases in funding key education programs. Mobilize your community to send Congress a message: Make increased federal investment in education the top budget priority and oppose any attempt to freeze or cut federal education spending. The story follows. To send your message, visit http://www.nea.org/lac/funding

BIPARTISAN MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE SUPPORTS SCHOOL MODERNIZATION

Schools began reopening last month for a new school year and communities across the country invited members of congress to come to school and see for themselves the building conditions and the overcrowding students experience everyday. Messages from home and local school visits had a telling effect. When Congress returned this week, a bipartisan majority of House members were on record as cosponsors of either or both the school modernization tax credit bills - HB 1660, Rangel (D-NY) and HB 1760, Johnson (R-CT). Note: To confirm how your state would benefit and whether your member of congress is a cosponsor, visit: www.nea.org/lac/modern.

THREE WEEKS AND COUNTING - THE BUDGET

The current fiscal year ends on September 30. With education programs facing a projected 18 percent cut and national polls showing strong public support for education, the House and Senate education appropriations subcommittees postponed their scheduled meetings to "time uncertain." Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. http://www.nea.org/lac/funding

"Improving Education and the schools" was identified by respondents as the #1 "Very Important" issue (79 percent) in deciding how to vote in the 2000 presidential election. Washington Post/ABC News Poll, September 1999.

[return to top]

nea's address