Here is Friday's CEF Update. Jeff > From: Joel Packer <jpacker@cef.org> > Date: February 19, 2016 at 5:28:14 PM CST > To: Joel Packer <jpacker@cef.org> > Subject: Friday Update > > > > Save the Date for the 2016 CEF Presidential Forum: This event will take place on May 26th, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Newseum in Washington DC. The forum is designed as an opportunity for presidential candidates to highlight and discuss their education policy agendas––including, but not limited to, education funding––and highlight education as a critical domestic policy. Details regarding sponsorship opportunities to follow in the coming weeks. Please contact Ally Bernstein at ally@jbernsteinstrategy.com with any questions. See attached flyer. > > 1. NDD Town Hall: Thank you to all who joined us on Wednesday for the Town Hall meeting! We had a great turnout, as well as a great discussion of fiscal year 2017 and beyond. Some of the key takeaways from the meeting, for those of you who were not able to join us were: > > · The funding level for FY 17 is flat compared to FY 16. The Bipartisan Budget Act raised the caps for FY 16 and 17 above the sequestration levels but only enough to ensure that 17 was not a cut from 16. To make matter worse, the flat funding is BEFORE inflation. Therefore it is more like a small cut and will make appropriations even more difficult this year. > > · The first big battle will be over the 302b allocations. This is the funding level that the full Appropriations Committee in each chamber hands down to the Subcommittees for all of the programs under their jurisdiction. Last time around, the increase in funding in the Bipartisan Budget Act was not distributed proportionately across these allocations. In fact, some bills saw increases that were more than double the average while others received less than half of the average increase. Because there will be pressure once again on leadership to increase funding for the more popular spending bills, some other 302b allocations are at risk of being cut from last year. > > · This is not going to be over any time soon. With Supreme Court nominations, a Presidential Election, and general dysfunction in Congress, it is VERY likely that we will end up with at least a short term CR that keeps the government running until late November, early December when the election is over. At that point, Congressional leadership will consider the outcome of the election and determine next steps. If a Republican wins the White House, it is likely that there will be another CR until March to allow for the next Administration to make the final funding decisions. > > · The fight for FY 18 will be fast and furious. With the BBA of 2015 expiring, there will be a cut in NDD funding of about $15 billion in FY 18 unless Congress does something to replace sequestration. With a new administration and new Congress, the fight for FY 18 will come fast with the condensed budget process largely as the result of new administration starting in January. Therefore, we need to start talking about the return of sequester in FY 18 NOW. NDD United will work on a Sequester 101 one pager to help groups communicate this threat to their constituents. > > · Sequestration is scary but a Balanced Budget Amendment is far worse. There is a movement in the states to call for a Constitutional Convention to institute a Balanced Budget Amendment. This would decimate NDD programs. CBPP is helping to coordinate efforts in the states that are the biggest threat. To learn more and to get involved, contact Alex Rugoff at arugoff@cbpp.org. > > I have also attached David Reich’s fabulous slides containing an assortment of graphs that are helpful in discussing the issues outlined above. > > We look forward to seeing you all next week at our Raise the Caps Reception. We have quite an impressive list of RSVPs already and will be joined by Reps. Steny Hoyer and Barbara Lee. Below are the details: > > NDD United "I Helped Raise the Caps" Reception > > Thursday, February 25, 2016 > 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm > 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building > Please RSVP here! > > Official invitation available here. > > 2. CEF Research Committee Briefing: Thanks to everyone who attended today’s really informative briefing on the regulatory process. Again, special kudos to Josh Westfall, National PTA, for putting this together! I've attached the slides used by Amit Narang, Regulatory Policy Advocate, Public Citizen. > > Also, the Department of Education posted the slides from its Rulemaking Webinar, held yesterday. > > 3. FY 2017 Budget: According to CQ, “Conversations under way behind closed doors in the House Budget Committee have raised the odds that both the panel and the Republican conference can unite behind a fiscal 2017 budget resolution, despite previous widespread doubts that the tax and spending framework would make it through the House this year.” > > Apparently, Chairman Price is looking to offset the $30 billion increase in the discretionary caps for FY 2017 that were set in the Bipartisan Budget Act, by implementing $30 billion in FY 2017 mandatory spending cuts. The plan would have those cuts be made in the FY 20917 appropriations bills. See: Closed-Door House GOP Talks Bring Budget Agreement Near. > > 4. FY 17 Appropriations Hearings: The Senate Appropriations Committee has posted its Hearing Schedule for the Week of Feb. 22, 2016. The House Appropriations Committee has posted its Hearing Schedule - February 22 - 26, 2016 UPDATED. > > 5. CEF Schedule. Click here for the updated CEF meeting schedule. > > > Joel Packer > CEF Executive Director > JPacker@cef.org > 202-383-0083 > 202-255-0915 (cell) > www.cef.org > www.Twitter.com/edfunding > NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS > 1341 G Street, NW > Fifth Floor > Washington, DC 20005 >