CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

House Passes Budget Resolution

On March 29, the full House passed its Fiscal Year 2013 budget resolution authored by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI). The Ryan budget passed by a vote of 228 to 191 with 10 Republicans voting against the resolution, including House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Denny Rehberg (R-MT). The proposal would cap federal discretionary spending at $1.028 trillion, which is $19 billion below the $1.047 trillion level set by the Budget Control Act in 2011. Though the Senate has yet to produce a budget resolution of its own, they have indicated that they intend to use the higher $1.047 trillion level in their appropriations process, which could cause problems when the two chambers have to come to an agreement on funding levels for specific programs like Perkins. A Democratic substitute budget resolution was offered Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and four other substitutes were proposed by both Republicans and Democrats, but all were defeated. 

Bi-partisan Dear Colleague Letters Finalized in House and Senate

Last month, policymakers who support CTE had the opportunity to sign-on to letters to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees addressing CTE funding. Both letters were a great success!

In the Senate, the dear colleague letter effort was led by Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT), and 21 additional Senators signed on. In the House, the letter was led by Rep. Thompson (R-PA) and Rep. Langevin (D-RI). An additional 63 House members signed on, for a total of 65 signatures.

 Please review both letters and thank those Members of Congress who signed on in support of CTE! These Member requests are important signals to the Appropriations Committees about the priority level of specific programs, and so it was important to get substantial support for Perkins. If your Members of Congress did not sign the letters, continue cultivating those relationships and building support for the future!