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House Appropriations Committee to Mark Up Labor-HHS Bill
The House Appropriations Labor-HHS Committee is expected to mark up the FY 2010 Appropriations Bill later today. Debate on the bill’s spending levels is expected to be centered on rising health care costs, giving Republicans a chance to criticize not only the $730.5 billion allocation but also the Democrat’s broader health care plan costs.
The House Appropriations Labor-HHS Subcommittee provided $160.7 billion for the FY 2010 302 (b) discretionary allocation for the Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill, a 3.3 percent increase over the FY09 level.
The bill provides $13.3 billion for the Department of Labor, $8.66 billion for the Employment and Training Administration with $3.8 billion for training and employment services.
Key investments include $1.4 billion for Dislocated Worker training; $135 million for a Career Pathways Innovation Fund, of which at least $65 million will support competitive grants to community colleges and partnerships with local adult education to train nurses, medical technicians and others for skilled jobs in the health industries; $100 million for YouthBuild; $50 million to prepare workers for careers in emerging “green” industries; $50 million for a new research-proven Transitional Jobs employment strategy to help hard-to-employ non-custodial parents and ex-offenders enter the workforce; and $615 million for community service jobs.
To access a chart of the Labor-HHS Subcommittee recommendations click here.
Student Aid Act Includes Funding For Community Colleges, As Called For By President Obama
On Wednesday, July 15, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (CA) introduced the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (HR 3221). The act eliminates the Federal Family Education Loan program and originates all new federal student loans through the Direct Loan program starting in 2010, generating $87 billion total in savings.
The legislation increases funding significantly for a number of programs, including providing $9.5 billion for community colleges. The initiative is broken down into three programs:
- $2.5 billion provided in FY2011 for grants to community colleges to repair, renovate and modernize their facilities.
- $6.3 billion provided over ten years for the Community College Challenge Grant Program. The program will offer competitive grants geared towards community colleges during the first four years and targeted to states during the remaining six years.
- $700 million provided for competitive grants designated for national activities, including grants to develop free online courses and training.
The bill also provides $3 billion to bolster college access and completion support programs for students; $40 billion to increase the annual Pell Grant maximum to $5,550 in 2010 and to $6,900 by 2019; Strengthens the Perkins Loan program; Simplifies the FAFSA form;
provides $1.2 billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions, $10 billion for Early Learning programs, and $10 billion to pay down the federal deficit; and keeps interest rates low on need-based – or subsidized – federal student
loans by making the interest rates on these loans variable beginning in 2012. These interest rates are currently set to jump from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent in 2012.
The community college funding reflects President Obama’s announcement of the American Graduation Initiative: Strengthening Community Colleges on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at Macomb Community College in Warren, MI. President Obama called for an investment of $12 billion
over 10 years in order to increase access, teaching and training of two-year institutions and train more people for when the economy turns around and starts to create jobs again. He requested $9 billion for "challenge grants," $2.5 billion for construction and renovation
to improve facilities and $500 million for expanding education opportunities online.
Members of the House Education and Labor Committee will convene for a full committee markup of the “Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009” at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 21st.
To see the full press release, click here.
HELP Subcommittee Hearing on WIA Reauthorization
On Thursday, July 16, 2009 The Senate Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing entitled “Modernizing the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 to Help Workers and Employers Meet the Changing
Demands of a Global Market.” The first panel included testimony from Department of Labor Assistant Secretary Jane Oates and Department of Education Under Secretary Martha Kanter.
Clyde McQueen, Director of the Full Employment Council, Inc., Kansas City, MO and a WDC Board member, testified on the second panel. Other witnesses on the second panel included Michael Thurmond, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Labor, Atlanta,GA; Rick Bender, President,
The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Seattle, WA; William Kiernan, Director, Institute for Community Inclusion, Boston, MA; Kathy Cooper, Policy Associate, Office of Adult Literacy, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, Olympia, WA;
and Stephen Wing, Director of Workforce Initiatives, CVS Caremark, Twinsburg, OH.
To access witness testimonies and a recording of the entire hearing click here:
http://www.help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_07_16/2009_07_16.html
Gerri Fiala Appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Employment and Training Administration
Gerri Fiala has been appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Employment and Training Administration. Fiala was Director of Workforce Research at the National Center on Education and the Economy, after serving 17 years as a senior career official at the Department of Labor.
At the Department of Labor, Fiala led an interagency team to secure job training reform. Her efforts culminated in the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, and Title V of the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000. Fiala also co-led interagency teams to secure Welfare to Work legislation and the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act.
Most recently, Fiala served as Staff Director for Senator Patty Murray (WA) for the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. Fiala led Senator Murray’s oversight and legislative efforts for the Employment and Workplace Subcommittee including identifying systems to create "multiple pathways" for high school students to obtain long-term, family-wage jobs through training and education.
At the Department of Labor, Fiala will be responsible for overseeing key workforce investment programs, developing and implementing workforce policies and priorities, and assisting with congressional relations and legislative issues.
Franken to Serve on Senate HELP Committee
Senate Majority Leader Reid announced Wednesday, July 15, that Senator Al Franken (MN) will join the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Franken succeeds Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), who has held the seat on an interim basis. Franken was sworn into office after being declared the winner of the Minnesota recount. Senator Franken also sits on the Aging, Indian Affairs and Judiciary committees.
Secretary Solis’ Response on State Merit Staff Mandate in TAA
On May 19, 2009, The U.S. Conference of Mayors sent a letter to DOL Secretary Hilda Solis expressing opposition to the Department’s plans to mandate that state merit staff administer the newly expanded Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) under the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act (TGAAA), which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
On July 10, 2009 we received a response from Secretary Solis in which she essentially reiterates the Department’s assertion that they have the authority to mandate such a change to TAA law.
To access a copy of the DOL response, click below:
http://www.usmayors.org/workforce/documents/2009-7-16-SolisNPRMresponse.pdf
INVITE YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TO
VISIT YOUR ONE-STOPS
Members of Congress will soon be breaking for the August recess and this is the time to meet with them and get them into your One-Stop Centers! You should contact your congressional delegation’s district office immediately to schedule a visit as their summer recess schedule fills fast. It is critical for your Senators and Representatives to see first-hand the value of
the investment they have made on behalf of the local workforce system, particularly with regard to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Please keep us updated on your congressional delegation outreach during August recess by emailing mgrothus@usmayors.org.
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