As Members of Congress returned to Washington this week, their focus was on the FY 24 appropriations process and the reauthorization of the National Defense Authorization Act. For CTE stakeholders, the biggest news was the House’s appropriations subcommittee markup of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which proposed significant cuts to education and workforce development programs. As we await the next phase of the appropriations process, here are some more news and notes:
- House Subcommittee Appropriators Approve FY24 Education Funding Bill: Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill, including funding for education and workforce development programs. The bill was approved by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies earlier today on a party-line vote. Unfortunately, because House leaders chose to develop appropriations bills at a much lower funding level than agreed to in the debt limit deal, this bill makes significant cuts across education and workforce programs. Learn more about the bill here.
- Department of Education Makes Corrections to Income-Driven Repayment Plan Balances: On July 14, the Department of Education issued federal student loan balance discharges to borrowers whose balances qualified for forgiveness upon correction of their count of payments made through income-driven federal loan repayment plans. Learn more about the discharges here.
- Senate CTE Caucus Co-chairs Introduce Data for American Jobs Act: On July 13, Senate CTE Caucus co-chairs Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Todd Young (R-IN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced 2290, the Data for American Jobs Act, a bipartisan bill to ensure that CTE is included in federal data systems to help improve career readiness programs, meet the needs of the economy and expand the skilled workforce. ACTE has endorsed this legislation, and you can view the accompanying press release with a quote from ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Curry here.
- Senate Committee to Consider Supporting Small Business Career and Technical Education Act: On July 19, the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship will consider 936, the Supporting Small Business Career and Technical Education Act as part of the committee’s pending legislative business. ACTE has endorsed this legislation.
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