Washington Update

Congress has adjourned until after the November elections. The Senate is scheduled to return for a lame duck session on November 17th at 12:00 p.m. Though not confirmed, the House is considering returning shortly after Thanksgiving to address the new economic stimulus.

Second Economic Stimulus Package

While Congress has adjourned to allow members to campaign, there is renewed momentum in the House for a second stimulus package. On the heels of new support for a second stimulus from the White House and House Republicans, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testified before the House Budget Committee on October 20, 2008, to also offer his support for a new package.

Though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA) has not decided on a funding level nor a timetable for passage of a second economic stimulus, she has called on all relevant committee chairs to schedule hearings in the coming weeks on key provisions of the new package and to provide her with their funding recommendations. Today, October 24, under Chairman George Miller (CA), the House Education and Labor Committee is holding a hearing on the nation's severe unemployment outlook and strategies to spur job growth.

As previously reported, the House passed a $61 billion stimulus bill (HR 7110) last month that included most of the Democratic proposals currently being considered for the new stimulus package, excluding tax-rebate checks. The stimulus proposal died in the Senate, however, and faced a veto threat from President Bush.

The question now is how big the next stimulus package will be, and what will be included. Passing a bi-partisan bill, however, will not be easy. Democrats are focused on job creation, while their Republican counterparts stress tax cuts to stimulate the economy.

Although Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) announced last week that the Senate will return the week of November 17 to take up a $150 billion second stimulus, there have been no discussions on elements of a second package to date, and Speaker Pelosi and the House are clearly taking the lead in this regard.

The previously passed Unemployment Relief Act of 2008 (H.R. 7110) provided $500 million for workforce funding including $400 million for WIA Dislocated Workers and Youth formula programs. On the Senate side, the Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (S. 3604) proposed $600 million for WIA -- $300 million for dislocated worker employment and training activities and $300 million for youth employment and training activities.

WIA continues to be in play in the second stimulus package. Therefore, it is crucial that your mayors and WIB directors contact their members of Congress to ask that both new House and Senate stimulus packages increase the funding levels for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and job training activities.

BELOW ARE DRAFT LETTERS TO SEND TO YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS

Click below for draft letter to House Representatives
http://usmayors.org/workforce/documents/2008SampleLetterinSupportofWIAFunding-House.pdf

Clink link below for draft letter to Senators
http://usmayors.org/workforce/documents/2008SampleLetterinSupportofWIAFunding-Senate.pdf

Upcoming Meetings

Workforce Development Council
Board and Annual Winter Meeting
The U.S. Conference of Mayors 77th Annual Winter Meeting
The Capital Hilton Hotel
Washington, DC
January 16-17, 2009

Mark your calendar for the WDC Board and Annual Winter Meeting to be held on January 16-17, 2009 as part of The U.S. Conference of Mayors 77th Annual Winter Meeting. The meeting will be held at the Capital Hilton Hotel, 16th & K Streets, NW in Washington, D.C.

Mayors will meet on January 17-19 at the Capital Hilton Hotel.

In order to begin making your travel arrangements, please click here to access a skeleton agenda for the WDC meeting.

More information on the meeting and the online registration link will be forthcoming

Reports, Announcements, and Articles

New from DOL

DOL’s Workforce System Report for the Appropriations Committees

Department of Labor released a report for the Appropriations Committees indicating that over 2.75 million workers received assistance from WIA formula programs this past year. The total reaches over 15 million workers receiving assistance from employment and training programs for this past year when the 12.6 million workers who accessed Employment Services are also included. Thus, more than one in ten workers nationally received assistance.

Please click here for a copy of the report.

New from GAO

GAO Report - Community Colleges and One-Stop Centers Collaborate to Meet 21st Century Workforce Needs

Report by GAO released in May found that 49% of local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) have representation from community colleges. The report covered the benefits of collaborations between community colleges and one-stop systems, such as strategic development and data sharing. It also highlighted the challenges of WIA Performance System Measures and funding.

To view the report, please click here.

New from CLASP

CLASP Announces Live Webcast on the Economic Crisis

The Economic Crisis: How we got into this mess? What we as a nation and as advocates can do about it?

Thursday, October 30, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. eastern time

Register for webcast at: www.bostonconferencing.com/chn

Financial meltdown, credit crunch, the burst housing bubble, rising unemployment . . . the economic situation is tumultuous and scary. Between the finance jargon and the finger-pointing about blame, it is pretty hard to understand what's going on and, most important, how to evaluate the solutions being proposed. This webcast is for people who care about rebuilding our economy in a way that includes low- and moderate-income people, both protecting them and recognizing that the only sustainable prosperity is shared prosperity.

You'll learn from experts what you need to know about the current crisis in the economy and in housing, and what Congress and a new Administration may do about it.

Presenters:

- Jared Bernstein, Economic Policy Institute
Author of Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries). Jared is famous for plain-English explanations and wit. His quotes and advice are widely sought out by press, candidates, and public officials.

- Barry Zigas, Consumer Federation of America
Barry is Housing Policy Director at the Consumer Federation of America, and is a leading expert on low-income housing policy, with previous experience at Fannie Mae and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

- Deborah Weinstein, Coalition on Human Needs
Debbie is Executive Director of CHN. She will discuss what Congress is considering and offer practical suggestions about how you can help shape the agenda.

If you can, join in person: Please RSVP to Maricela Donahue, mdonahue@chn.org
Webcast location: Economic Policy Institute, 1333 H Street, NW; Suite 300; Washington, DC.

For online participation, click here to register.

ETA Releases

• Department Amends Regulations Governing Combined Wage-Claims Filed under the Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program
  October 23, 2008