By Josie Hathway
March 31, 2003

In a major victory for the nation's mayors, the Senate March 25 approved on a 51-48 vote an amendment authored by Senator Maria Cantwell (WA) restoring $678 million in proposed cuts to federal workforce training programs. The amendment, passed as part of the Senate debate on the FY 04 budget resolution (S Con Res 23), restores Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding to FY 2002 levels.

Following the vote, Conference of Mayors workforce staff met with Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (SD), Assistant Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (NV), Senators Edward M. Kennedy, Ranking Member, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Jeff Bingaman (NM), Susan M. Collins (ME), Christopher J. Dodd (CT), Tom Harkin (IA), Patty Murray (WA), and Jack Reed (RI) to thank Senator Cantwell for her hard work on the amendment.

Restoring workforce funding to FY 02 levels is a major priority for The Conference of Mayors and was a key lobbying issue on Mayors Lobby Day in September 2002. The amendment was carried to victory by a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans including Senators Lincoln Chaffee (RI), Susan M. Collins (ME), and Olympia Snowe (ME). In order for the restored funds to reach local areas, the amendment will have to survive the final budget debate, the conference with the House, and then go through the regular appropriations process.

During the Senate floor debate, Senator Cantwell displayed The U. S. Conference of Mayors' publication on snapshots of local workforce programs, which tells the story of the critical services provided to workers, job seekers and businesses through WIA funding. The report, Snapshots of Local Workforce Development Systems: Workforce Investment Act Report to Congress, is available on usmayors.org.