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In this issue:
Federal
Appropriations Update
Call
to Action!
Federal
Appropriations Update
Earlier today, the House Appropriations
Committee marked up the 2007 Labor-HHS-Education budget bill that contains
$141,930 billion of discretionary spending, up just slightly less than one
percent over last year's appropriation of $141,088. The bill also contains
$460 billion in mandatory spending (includes Social Security and Medicare
and Medicaid payments.) To view the entire Labor-HHS-Education details http://appropriations.house.gov/_files/LH_Detail_SCWEB.pdf.
The full Committee accepted the
Sub-committee's June 7 mark-up recommendations that include the following
amounts ( in thousands) for the Employment and Training Administration
programs:
|
Program
|
FY 2006
|
FY 2007
Requested
|
Committee
Recommended
|
Difference
|
|
Employment Service
|
$715,883
|
$688,769
|
$688,769
|
$-26,247
|
|
WIA Adult Training
|
$864,199
|
$712,000
|
$854,000
|
$-10,199
|
|
Youth
|
$940,500
|
$840,000
|
$935,500
|
$-5,000
|
|
Job Corps
|
$1,592,758
|
$1,501,602
|
$1,523,000
|
$-69,758
|
|
CSEP
|
$432,311
|
$432,311
|
$420,000
|
$-12,311
|
|
Dislocated Workers (Grants to States)
|
$1,189,811
|
$875,266
|
$1,193,264
|
$+3,453
|
|
Dislocated Workers National Reserve
|
$282,092
|
$239,316
|
$157,800
|
$-124,292
|
|
Community College Initiative
|
$125,000
|
$150,000
|
$125,000
|
$+25,000
|
|
Total Training & Employment Services
|
$5,242,466
|
$4,412,405
|
$4,967,209
|
$-275,257
|
The legislation will next go to the
House Floor.
Call to
Action!!!
A
rescission of $325 million of FY'06 funding was recommended by the Sub-Committee
and was adopted by the full Committee in today’s mark-up.
Even though the Chairman’s FY 07 mark
leaves WIA funding relatively intact, a more in detailed analysis of the
mark reveals a recommendation for rescission (take-back) of $325 million in
funding from the PY 06 formula accounts. This rescission reflects Secretary
Chao’s assertion that there is over $1 billion in carryover funding
in the WorkForce system, which can be cut without impacting service
delivery.
According to the National Workforce Association,
Secretary Chao’s carryover argument is making an impact this year
with some Appropriators, despite efforts from senior Members, including
Education and Workforce Chairman McKeon, who refute the
Administration’s carryover argument and have argued for additional
funding.
At this point, it appears that the
rescission is targeted to be taken from carry-over funds but details are
still being sought regarding the impact to States and local workforce
areas.
Please
take the time to contact the Minnesota
Delegation to inform your Representative why a rescission is both
unwarranted and unwise.
Talking Points:
- I
am deeply concerned about the action taken by the Appropriations
Committee in moving forward with a $325 million rescission of WIA
formula funding. According
to the 1998 law, local areas are allowed to carry over a set 20
percentage of un-obligated funding from a particular fiscal year for
two consecutive years. Local areas are carrying over less than the 20
percent allowed due to the continued decline in funding over the past
5 years.
- If
approved, the rescission will have a drastic impact on the ability of
the local workforce system to train our most valuable economic
resource, our workers.
- (Outline
a specific initiative in your area, and how a reduction in WIA funding
could jeopardize its success.)
- I
urge you to reject the rescission of critical dollars to WIA programs
in the upcoming Labor-HHS
appropriations bill and make full funding of the existing workforce
system a top priority.
Contact information for the Minnesota
Delegation can be found on the MWCA website: http://www.mncounties3.org/mwca/Legislative/Legislative.htm
________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you wish to be added or removed from this
distribution list, you may request to
do so by
e-mailing aolson@mncounties.org.
Minnesota Workforce Council
Association
Anne
Olson, Director
125 Charles Avenue, St.
Paul, MN 55103-2108
Phone: (651)
224-3344
Fax: (651) 224-6540 www.mncounties.org3/mwca
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