Latest from CEF. Leahy letter, attach, includes tis section on WIOA programs: Job Training and Employment Service Programs: If DOL Job Training and Employment Services programs are cut by 13 percent, an estimated 1.7 million adult, youth, dislocated workers, and veterans would lose access to employment and training services next year. The Training and Employment Services appropriation funds a nationwide system of education, skills training, and employment services that support and increase the employment and earnings of current and future workers, particularly low-income persons, dislocated workers, and at-risk and out-of-school youth. This would be a significant cut to the nation’s core worker training programs, which Congress reauthorized on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014. Jeff > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Sheryl Cohen <cohen@cef.org> > Subject: CEF Update: 03.13.17 - CEF testimony and rumors on 2018 budget, school infrastructure, Labor-H hearings > Date: March 13, 2017 at 12:52:44 PM EDT > To: CEFMembersList <CEFMembersList@cef.org> > > > Monday, March 13, 2017 > > > Dear CEF Members: > > I. Advocacy > > · House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations testimony for the record – CEF submitted the attached written testimony for the record to the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee about the FY 2018 funding bill. > > II. Policy Intelligence and Education News > > · Trump Administration FY2018 budget - Lots of rumors but no specifics have yet been released about what the President’s fiscal year 2018 budget will request for education programs. In fact, nobody is yet sure which day this week the so-called “skinny budget” will be released (it’s “skinny” because it will have just discretionary totals, and will not include the majority of the budget – no mandatory spending or revenues). OMB Director Mulvaney hinted the budget might be released Wednesday, and officials had said no later than Thursday. We’ve heard sometimes-conflicting rumors that mostly target the Department’s biggest programs that are not special education, Pell grants, or Title I. The rumors are listed below, but they may be just that - rumors: > o Department of Education to be cut by $6 billion, or a net total of $4 billion with an additional $2 billion of existing programmatic funding shifted to vouchers > o Deep cuts to or elimination of Title II teacher training and 21st Century After School funding (the two biggest programs after Pell Grants, IDEA, and Title I) > o Big cuts to TRIO and Work Study (at close to $1 billion, they are the two biggest higher education programs after Pell Grants) > Sarah thinks we’ll likely see a decrease in the request for Pell grants, which means more of the existing Pell grant surplus would be spent in 2018 to maintain the maximum award. While this wouldn’t affect the maximum award in 2018, it would require much more funding for Pell grants for 2019 under the non-defense discretionary spending cap that stays tight under current law but could be much tighter if Republicans continue their push for cuts in that category. > > · Senate Appropriations Committee Democrats’ concerns about the 2018 budget – Attached is Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy’s views and estimates on the fiscal year 2018 budget. His letter to the Senate Budget Committee outlines the existing constraints under the non-defense discretionary (NDD) cap and addresses the President’s proposal to cut NDD funding by an additional $54 billion next year. His detailed analysis includes effects of the resulting 13 percent cut on selected non-defense discretionary programs. > > · Public school infrastructure gets a “D+” – The American Society of Civil Engineers released its quadrennial report card <http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/> on the status of the nation’s public infrastructure, and public schools received a D+. <http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/schools/> The report estimates a $38 billion annual shortfall in what is needed for school facilities, with 24% of buildings in only fair or poor condition. Schools with temporary buildings rate even worse. Interestingly, the report highlights the difference among states in what they pay for – 12 states do not provide any direct funding for school construction – while the federal government currently plays virtually no role in this funding. The $1 trillion infrastructure plan <https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-sanders-and-other-leading-senate-democrats-unveil-1-trillion-infrastructure-plan> announced by Senate Democrats earlier this winter includes $75 billion for schools. > > · Labor-HHS-Ed hearings – The House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee is scheduled to hold two hearings this week. A budget hearing on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will be held on Wednesday, March 15th at 10:00 am in 2358-C Rayburn House Office Building. The second hearing, titled “Investing in the Future – Early Childhood Education Programs at the Department of Health and Human Services,” will be held on Thursday, March 16th at 10:00 am in 2358-C Rayburn House Office Building. > > The Senate Labor-HHS-Ed Appropriations Subcommittee is also holding a hearing on Wednesday, March 15th at 10:00 am in 138 Dirksen Senate Office Building. The hearing is titled “STEM Education: Preparing Students for the Careers of Today and the Future.” We’ll be monitoring all of these hearings for relevant intel. > > III. Events > > · CEF schedule for the next month – (Note: this information is also on the CEF calendar in the Members’ Area of our new website. You can register for an ID to log in if you have already submitted your 2017 membership renewal forms.) > o Friday, March 17, 9-11am:– CEF meeting (AFSCME, 1625 L St NW, 1st Floor Board Room). Review of President’s budget outline. > o Friday, March 24, 9-11am: Quarterly meeting (AFT, 555 NJ Ave, NW, 4th floor) > o Friday, March 31, 9-11am: CEF meeting (AASCU, 1307 NY Ave, NW). Guest speakers: Democratic staff of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. > o Friday, April 7, 9-11am: CEF meeting (AFSCME, 1625 L St NW, 1st Floor Board Room). Guest speaker: Robin Juliano, democratic education staffer for the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee. > > 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/> >