The FY 2014 omnibus appropriations bill passed overwhelmingly on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 359-67. As we previously reported, the omnibus bill includes a $53 million increase for Perkins! The legislation also contains a provision that will change the name of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) at the U.S. Department of Education to the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE).
Following the vote yesterday, Rep. Glenn Thompson, the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional CTE Caucus, took to the House floor to praise the bill and express his commitment to fully fund CTE. “Today the House took a positive step toward restoring fiscal discipline in Washington with passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2014,” said Thompson. “The bill creates efficiency by eliminating areas of waste but also makes critical investments in areas most in need. Congressman Jim Langevin of Rhode Island and I, co-chairs of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus, have led the charge for fully funding career and technical education. I want to thank my colleagues for their work and call on the Senate to pass this important bill.“
Thanks to the efforts of CTE advocates nationwide, this bill is this is a huge step in the right direction for Perkins funding! The Senate is expected to vote on the measure before the end of the week. Please take a few minutes to reach out to your Senators and urge them to vote YES on this bill.
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