NCL Members, I’m traveling this week and so no time to add much in the way of my own commentary to Sheryl’s excellent report below. Except: Although Sheryl reports some debate over the fate of the FY17 budget, I continue to think it highly likely that we’ll end up with a full-year continuing resolution — meaning FY17 adult ed funding will stay at FY16 levels. In the section on staff changes below, I think it good news that Robin Juliano is returning to the House Appropriations Committee staff (for the Democrats) — have had helpful conversations with her on adult ed back when she wason staff there previously and during her brief recent stint at the White House. Sometimes for us, just having staff who know we exist is a win! Rest assured I will represent NCL well at the CEF happy hour… :) Jeff > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Sheryl Cohen <cohen@cef.org> > Subject: CEF Update: 2.14.17 - CEF Fact Sheets, Hill visits, Appropriations hearings, CEF happy hour and Hill event > Date: February 14, 2017 at 4:43:28 PM EST > To: CEFMembersList <CEFMembersList@cef.org> > > > Tuesday, February 14, 2017 > > Dear CEF Members: > > I. Advocacy > > · Ongoing Hill visits – This week we are meeting with the staff of the following offices: > o Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), new on House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee > o Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), House Labor-H Subcommittee > o Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), 2018 Red State Democrat on Appropriations > o Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), 2018 Red State Democrat > o Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO), Senate Labor-H Subcommittee > As we schedule more meetings we will continue to let Hill Teams members know so they can sign up to attend on the shared google document. > > At each meeting we are focusing on both the short-term and long-term funding issues. We have materials on the need to take care of education funding in the fiscal year 2017 funding bills, and point to the need to increase the fiscal year 2018 non-defense discretionary (NDD) spending cap and pushing Congress to maintain the principle of parity between any increase for defense and NDD spending. For the long-term, we discuss the importance of the federal role in education funding, how it contributes to a stronger nation, and how it is possible to increase funding even within tight budget constraints. > > · CEF fact sheets – We are working with the Advocacy/Research and Hill Teams to beef up our materials, but I am attaching the current version of our two fact sheets. We also are using some of the charts on the CEF website, and handouts from the Department of Education about the amount of federal education funding for each state <https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html> and from NAICU on the amount of federal higher education assistance for each congressional district <http://naicu.imediainc.com/policy-advocacy/federal-student-aid-data-sheets>. > > II. Policy Intelligence and Education News > > · Possible scenarios for 2017 – So far, we’ve heard a fairly consistent story from House and Senate Republican and Democratic staff, which is that everyone is unclear about timing and substance of the 2018 budget action and how the 2017 funding bills will be resolved. Some staff mentioned the possibility of doing two bills to wrap up 2017 – a defense bill and an omnibus for the remaining 10 other bills. Other staff think it’s more likely that when the current extension of 2016 funding expires on April 28 we’ll end up with a full-year continuing resolution at those levels, with a number of specified changes (so-called “anomalies”) where necessary. > > · House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee hearings on 2018 budget -- The House Appropriations Committee is beginning to hold hearings on the 2018 budget, starting with Members’ Day hearing for each subcommittee <http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394709> beginning tomorrow. The Labor-HHS-Education Members’ Day hearing is on March 1 at 10am. The Subcommittee will hold a Public Witnesses Hearing on March 8, with the deadline for submitting requests to testify on February 21. More information is available here <http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394709>. > > · Staff changes for House Appropriations Committee Democrats – Democratic staff director of the House Appropriations Committee and long-time Hill staffer David Pomerantz is retiring. Deputy staff director Shalanda Young will take over. In addition, Robin Juliano is rejoining the Committee staff after a year working at the National Economic Council. She previously handled education funding for both the House and the Senate Appropriations Committees. > > · How Medicaid cuts could affect students – AASA has issued a report <http://aasa.org/medicaidcuts/> on the effects of a 30 percent cut in Medicaid reimbursements, which is similar to the size cut Republicans have said want. The report details the effect on payments to schools for health care screening, diagnosis and treatment services as well as services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. > > III. CEF Events > > · CEF Happy Hour on Feb. 23 – Our new unofficial Chairs of Fun – former CEF presidents Makese Motley and Noelle Ellerson Ng – are putting the “fun” back in Education FUNding! Please join your friends from CEF past and present at happy hour on Thursday, Feb. 23, 5-7pm, at Shake Shack in Union Station. There’s an invitation on Facebook at this link <https://www.facebook.com/events/1320125081381886/>. > > · CEF Welcomes the 115th Congress/Advocacy Campaign Launch/Website Unveiling on March 2 – Please mark your calendars for a welcome reception for Members of the 115th Congress and their education staffers as we launch our new advocacy campaign and unveil our website. Our first official event of the year will cover a lot of ground: > o it’s a breakfast reception where Senators and Representatives on the education funding and authorizing committees can drop by with their staff to meet the CEF community; > o we’ll replace our customary Friday briefing with remarks from Members of Congress about their efforts to increase the federal investment in education; > o we’ll launch our new “5¢ Makes Sense” advocacy campaign to increase federal education investment to 5% of the federal budget; and > o we’ll unveil our new, user-friendly website. > Press is welcome. The event is 8:30-10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 2, in 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building. > > · Upcoming CEF schedule – Below is a list of CEF events for the next month or so: > · Friday, Feb. 17, 9-11am: CEF Meeting (California State, Hall of States, 444 N. Capitol St, NW, room 333). Guest speakers: Alex Keenan and Mark Laisch, Senate Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee Democratic staff > · Thursday, Feb 23, 5-7pm: CEF Happy Hour at Shake Shack in Union Station – see info above! > · Friday, Feb. 24: No CEF meeting > · Thursday, March 2, 8:30-10:30am: Breakfast reception for new Members of Congress and their staff and a launch of our new advocacy campaign and website (562 Dirksen Senate Office Building – see info above! > · Friday, March 3: No CEF meeting > · Friday, March 10, 9-11am:: CEF meeting (NCSDAE, Hall of States, 444 N. Capitol St, NW, Room 333). Guest Speakers: David Pomerantz and Lisa Molyneaux, House Appropriations Committee Democratic staff. > · Friday, March 17: No CEF meeting > > > My best, > > Sheryl > > > Sheryl V. Cohen, Executive Director > 1800 M Street, NW > Suite 500 South > Washington, DC 20036 > T: 202-327-8125 > cohen@cef.org <mailto:cohen@cef.org> > www.cef.org <http://www.cef.org/> >