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Appropriations
With only four of the twelve appropriations bills having passed both chambers, it is increasingly unlikely that Congress will be able to pass the FY 2010 Labor-HHS appropriations bill before the new fiscal year starts on October 1st. While the House has approved all 12 of its appropriation measures, the Senate has completed work on only four, leaving eight to consider.
Senate appropriators will attempt to pass as many of the remaining spending measures as possible in September, but a short term Continuing Resolution appears likely to maintain funding of government operations for the start of the fiscal year. A shortened legislative calendar complicates the process, as there are only 15 legislative days in September due to various holidays.
Senate and House leaders want to avoid an omnibus bill, which has been a frequent means of completing the appropriations process in recent years.
Click here to access a side-by-side comparison chart Labor-HHS appropriations levels.
Harkin to Chair HELP Committee
Senator Tom Harkin (IA) was elected chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, on Wednesday, September 9, by a voice vote. He is succeeding the late Senator Kennedy (MA). Senator Harkin was previously Chair of the Agricultural Committee, which will now be headed by Senator Blanche Lincoln (AR).
Harkin will remain as Chair of the Labor-HHS-Appropriations Subcommittee. In his dual role, he oversees both policy and funding for key programs in the Democratic agenda such as healthcare and student loan reform, and is involved in writing the largest annual spending legislation. He will also play a role in determining how the more than $80 billion in estimated savings from President Obama’s federal student loan reform program will be spent. His new position should reduce the tension which commonly occurs between authorizing committees and appropriators.
Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA)
On Wednesday, September 9, the House Rules Committee released information about the Amendment Process for the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), HR 3221. Members of Congress must offer amendments to the legislation by 5 p.m. on September 14. The legislation is expected to reach the House floor by the middle of next week, and is expected to pass.
The House Education and Labor Committee reported its version of the bill in July, before the August recess. The legislation provides $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.
Click here to view the language of the bill and the corresponding report from the Education and Labor Committee, including the majority and minority views.
www.rules.house.gov
Following consideration by the House, the bill will move to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Budget reconciliation will be used to replace federal subsidies for private student loans with a single federal solution.
The Congressional Budget Office is set to release a cost analysis or “score” of The Student Loan Community Proposal later today.
Click here to view the CBO cost estimates HR 3221.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/104xx/doc10479/hr3221.pdf
Van Jones Resigns from Administration
White House Green Jobs Czar Van Jones resigned on Saturday, September 5, over numerous controversies including his previous membership in an anti-capitalist organization, his signature on a petition suggesting Bush may have deliberately allowed the September 11 attacks to occur and derogatory words directed at Republicans.
According to Jones, his resignation is the result of a smear campaign launched against him by Republicans, but he departed to save the White House from taking time and energy away from the focus on Green Jobs to defend him.
Jones, a graduate of Yale Law School, started his career in political activism in 1996 when he started the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, which focused on police brutality and prison reform. He later shifted his attention to the environment, emphasizing green jobs as an opportunity for struggling those struggling to find work to obtain a steady paycheck. He pioneered the idea that the green jobs creation could revitalize America’s receding blue-collar class, and was instrumental in bridging the gap between policy makers in the White House and low class workers struggling to find work. Since the Ella Baker Center, Jones has founded a number of non-profits including Green For All, and will now join the Center for American Progress.
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