Greetings all, Some more policy updates — mostly assembled from CEF's recent updates... A Complicated September Congress has returned, and it has a ridiculously long and complicated to-do list ahead of them. Before the end of the month they’ve got to get a CR done (since they won't have all their FY18 appropriations bills ready), raise the debt ceiling (Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has said the debt limit must be raised by Sept. 29), FAA reauthorization, Flood Insurance reauthorization, and possibly an installment on emergency funding for Hurricane Harvey. Sheryl believes the CR will be combined with the authority to raise the debt ceiling. In conversations outside of the education space that I have had with environmental folks, I’m told that emergency supplemental funding for Harvey is fraught with various political challenges, so that will be interesting to watch. Mnuchin has said that the administration really wants the debt limit raised attached to the Harey relief bill, but as of last time I checked, the House was not going to do that. (Conservatives in the House are really against tying the two together.) The Senate could add a debt-ceiling increase to the bill once it arrives from the House. Not following this closely enough to know how likely that is. If they do, the bill would have to go to the House. However, Sheryl’s sources say that this debate is not expected to change the timing of any of the pending September appropriations work. The House is still expected to take up their 8-bill omnibus this week. (See note below.) And the Senate Labor HHS mark-up in the Subcommittee, followed by the full Committee is also still on schedule for this week. (Again, see note below.) Of course, we we may have a second devastating hurricane hit the U.S. this week…. More from Sheryl: > Once that is done, sources say look for a similar path/schedule to be followed similar to the FY 16 process – October deal to raise the caps, November negotiations on the Committee allocations, and a December omnibus. An end of the year budget deal, combined with disaster relief, and the work being done to try and produce tax legislation will be a complicated mix and a costly one. As we’ve seen before, when things get big they more often than not collapse under their own weight – making a second CR on the budget kicking into next year certainly not off the table. More on the CR A clean CR appears to be in the offing. Via Sheryl today: > Earlier today, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy stated that he expects to pass “just about a three-month continuing resolution,” potentially pushing controversial funding fights, including the wall along the Mexican border, until later in 2017. Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Markup Via Sheryl today: > The Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee is marking up its fiscal year 2018 spending bill tomorrow morning at 11:00am in 124 Dirksen. The full Appropriations Committee will follow on Thursday at 10:30am in 106 Dirksen. I won’t be monitoring but CEF will and I reckon will know our numbers by tomorrow afternoon. More on the House Omnibus On August 25, the House Rules Committee posted the text of a FY 2018 omnibus appropriations bill comprising the eight remaining bills passed out of the Appropriations Committee. https://rules.house.gov/bill/115/hr-3354 <https://rules.house.gov/bill/115/hr-3354> The bills will be bundled together as part of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, H.R. 3354. I didn’t see any amendments that seemed relevant for us. Budget Resolution The House Budget Resolution is expected the second week of September. Sheryl reported last week: > I’m told the moderate Republican Tuesday Group was mentioned in the Whip briefing as those who thought the cuts might be too high, but several staff have said they are not sure where all of the members of this group will ultimately come out on the vote, as many may still vote yes because of the implications for tax reform. CEF Gala I’m pleased to announce that Sen. Jack Reed will be receiving a CEF award this year at the gala October 3. Here is the announcement regarding all three of this year's awardees. You’ll see some of the language in our award to Sen. Reed last year reflected in his announcement. Anyway, thankfully this means for two years running, adult education will be mentioned during the awards ceremony. I’m really happy about Sen. Reed being recognized — for various reasons my awesome power as a CEF board member has not been enough to get him through the last couple times he was nominated, but this year I guess it was. > Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) will receive the Terrell H. Bell Award, which recognizes outstanding advocacy of education as a congressional and national priority. Senator Reed’s advocacy on behalf of education investments spans the continuum from preschool to higher education, adult education, and libraries and literacy programs. He is the Senate’s foremost champion of increased funding for adult education, and has sponsored legislation to strengthen adult education through more research and better connections to career and technical education and to the workforce system. He authored the 2010 reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act, advancing the roles of libraries and museums in education, lifelong learning, preservation, and workforce development. This year he is continuing to lead the effort to increase its funding. Senator Reed also focuses on ensuring that college is accessible and affordable for all who want to earn a degree, and has fought increases in student loan interest rates and introduced legislation to incentivize states to offer more grant aid. > > Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) will receive the William H. Natcher Award, which recognizes distinguished service in elevating the priority for education funding to ensure better opportunities for our nation’s children. Senator Blunt chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and he is well known for his efforts to double the budget of the National Institutes of Health, which supports university research that advances the nation’s health. He also pushes directly for a greater federal investment in education. This spring he spoke out against the President’s proposed $9 billion cut to the Department of Education, calling it “a difficult budget request to defend,” citing its cuts to afterschool services, career and technical education, and student aid. Last year, Senator Blunt led the successful effort to reinstate year-round Pell grants that will help more low-income students finish college earlier, lowering student loan costs for both borrowers and taxpayers. Within tight fiscal constraints, Senator Blunt crafted a FY 2017 funding bill that increased support for most of the nation’s largest education programs, helping increase access for students from Head Start through college. He has also supported efforts to simplify federal student loan applications and maintain federal grant and tax aid to college students. > > Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) will also receive the William H. Natcher Award. Representative Bonamici has demonstrated her determination and effectiveness as a volunteer in public schools, through her service in the Oregon legislature where she passed legislation to reduce duplicative testing, and now in Congress, where she played a pivotal role in passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). As a member – now the Vice Ranking Member – of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, she has highlighted the need for a strong federal support for Title IV Part A of ESSA, which Congress designed to support safe and healthy schools, well-rounded programs, and the effective use of technology. Rep. Bonamici continues to advocate for Title IV Part A funding, leading the FY 2017 Dear Colleague request and enlisting the support of 102 colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Jeff Jeff Carter Cell: (202) 374-4387 | @jeffcrtr Past President & Policy Advisor National Coalition for Literacy www.national-coalition-literacy.org <http://www.national-coalition-literacy.org/> jcarter@literacypolicy.org <mailto:jcarter@literacypolicy.org> Vice-President, Committee for Education Funding Executive Director Physicians for Social Responsibility 1111 14th St, NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005 www.psr.org <http://www.psr.org/> | jcarter@psr.org <mailto:jcarter@psr.org>