Weekly Legislative Highlights: December 10 through December 14, 2007
Updated December 17, 2007
*Board Members to Congress: Fix NCLB and Soon
*Bush Vetoes SCHIP Legislation Again
*Senate Passed Farm Bill on December 14
*Education Funding for FY 2008 – Congressional Action Planned for December 17
*Board Members to Congress: Fix NCLB and Soon
Kudos to John Pennycuff, school board president of the Winton Woods School District in Ohio, for his op-ed urging Congress to make much-needed substantive improvements to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) before they adjourn in 2008. Pennycuff’s op-ed ran this week in the Cincinnati Enquirer. Thanks also to Roger Samuelson, a school board member for the Champion Local Schools in Ohio, who had a letter to the editor urging Congressional action published in his local newspaper, the Tribune-Chronicle.
*Bush Vetoes SCHIP Legislation Again
On Thursday, December 13, 2007, President Bush vetoed, for a second time, legislation, H.R. 3963, aimed at expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The bill would have added about $35 billion to the program over five years, enough to cover 10 million children, proponents estimate. A vote to override the veto is expected around January 23, 2008. While Democrats and Republicans battle over how best to renew the program, temporary extensions are keeping it funded at the FY 2007 level.
*Senate Passed Farm Bill on December 14
The Senate agreed to limit debate on the farm bill Thursday, December 13, clearing the way for passage of the legislation on Friday, December 14. The nutrition title of the bill would expand the Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program in schools to promote healthy eating among students and staff. In addition, an amendment to enact school nutrition standards on foods sold outside of the federally subsidized school lunch and breakfast programs, which NSBA opposed, was withdrawn. View a copy of the roll call to see how your senators voted.
*Education Funding for FY 2008 – Congressional Action Planned for December 17
Congressional leaders were able to renegotiate a funding bill for 2008 over the weekend, which is a step in the right direction for key education programs, including a $1.6 billion increase for Title I. The consolidated bill includes funding for education and other domestic programs. Overall, the Department of Education would receive $59.4 billion, rejecting the President’s $1.2 billion cut and $2 billion above 2007. Details for key education programs are listed below:
- Title I: $14.5 billion, $1.6 billion above 2007 and $109 million above the President’s request, to help 314,000 more disadvantaged kids with math and reading instruction than last year.
- Teacher Quality State Grants: $3 billion, $73 million above 2007 and rejecting the President’s $100 million cut, providing 4,000 more teachers with needed help than last year.
- Special Education – IDEA Part B Grants: $11 billion, rejecting the President’s $291 million cut and $259 million above 2007, reversing a two-year decline in the Federal contribution to help states and localities to educate 6.9 million children with disabilities
- Head Start: $6.9 billion, rejecting the President’s $100 million cut and $13.7 million above 2007, to help sustain high quality preschool services for children currently enrolled in Head Start.
- Vocational Education: $1.2 billion, rejecting $575 million (49%) in cuts the President would have made to federal support for technical training at high schools and community colleges.
- Secure Rural Schools Act / Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT): $229 million, $3.6 million below 2007 and $39 million above the President’s request, for payments to local governments that help offset losses in property taxes due to nontaxable federal lands within their boundaries.
- Nutrition: $928 million, $16 million above 2007 and $40 million over the President’s request, for nutrition programs including the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program, the Simplified Summer Food program to provide nutritious foods to children in low-income families, and specialty crop grants to encourage more fruit and vegetable consumption.
- After School Programs: $1.1 billion, $100 million above 2007 and the President’s request, providing after-school academic and enrichment services to an additional 130,000 kids following six straight years of cuts or freezes to these programs.
The House is expected to consider the measure this afternoon and the Senate will follow shortly thereafter.
Please continue to urge your Representatives & Senators to vote in favor of this measure that includes key increases to education programs. If the bill does not pass, we would face level funding for FY 2008.