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House Passes Omnibus Bill
On Wednesday, February 25, the House passed the omnibus spending bill to complete funding for fiscal year 2009 on a vote of 245-178. The $410 billion FY ’09 spending package consists of the nine remaining appropriations bills not passed last year.
The omnibus provides $31 billion more, or an 8% increase, over 2008 funding levels, and is $19 billion more than proposed by President Bush. The programs addressed in the bill are currently funded by a Continuing Resolution (CR) which expires March 6th, leaving only a week for passage in the Senate. This could prove difficult as Senate Republicans have expressed outrage over earmarks in the bill and spending already covered in the stimulus package. Democrats respond that 40 percent of the earmarks are GOP-requested, and that the stimulus was passed as an addition to this basic funding, not a substitution.
The omnibus level funds most major workforce programs. The bill does increase funding for YouthBuild by 19 percent, or $11 million, for a total of $70 million; increases funding for Reintegration of Ex-Offenders by $35 million for a total of $109 million; provides $330 million more for State Operations for a total of $2.8 billion; and provides a 9.6 percent increase in the Senior Community Service Employment Program for a total of $50.2 million.
For a more comprehensive list of job training funding, click here.
President Releases FY 2010 Budget Proposal
On Thursday, February 26, President Obama released his $3.6 trillion FY 2010 budget proposal, which provides $71 billion more in spending than FY ‘09. While line-item details will not be released until April, Obama outlined his major priorities including halving the deficit by 2013, as well as expansion of a number of health, energy, and workforce related issues.
President Obama’s Labor Department budget plan expands upon increases in the economic recovery package, extending initiatives to sustain and retrain the unemployed. He proposes $13.3 billion, almost a 5 percent increase, for Labor Department discretionary funding. The budget plan also proposes an unspecified increase in funding for the unemployment insurance system – envisioning a directing of resources to transitional jobs and job training -- especially green jobs. Back to work initiatives also include job training for veterans and ex-offenders.
To access a copy of the President’s budget proposal, click here.
WIA Reauthorization
On Thursday, February 26, the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness held a second hearing on WIA reauthorization. The Committee heard testimony on implementation problems in WIA and possible solutions to improve the legislation.
Subcommittee Chairman Ruben Hinojosa (TX) indicated he could move slowly to develop comprehensive authorization legislation this year. Hinojosa plans to hold a series of field hearings around the country to collect input from workforce development stakeholders unable to travel to Washington. He also indicated an interest in hearing from Department of Labor and Education officials to discuss better coordination of workforce development and adult education funding. Composition of local workforce boards was also discussed at the hearing.
DOL Secretary Solis Confirmed
On Tuesday, February 25th, the Senate confirmed Representative Hilda L. Solis as Secretary of Labor by a vote of 80-17. The nays were all Republicans; three of them minority members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee – Senators Richard Burr (NC), Tom Coburn (OK) and Pat Roberts (KS).
Her confirmation leaves open the seat as Representative of the 32nd District in the East Los Angeles-area. Elections for that seat will be held in four to four-and-a-half months.
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