CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Update on FY24 Appropriations

With the enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), appropriators in the House and Senate are now working on their respective appropriations bills that will make up the federal budget for FY24. This year’s appropriations process was expected to feature spending caps that were imposed by the FRA, which after adjustments hold non-defense spending roughly flat in FY 2024 and increase it by 1% in 2025.  

However, the House has chosen to use much lower caps for discretionary spending. In the House, legislators have proposed a topline number for the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education appropriations bill of $147.1 billion, or a 29 percent cut. The Senate is sticking much closer to the FRA deal and approved its individual bill allocations this week. In the Senate, $195.23 billion will be available for the Labor, HHS, and Education bill, which is only a 5.9 percent cut from FY23.  

Markups of some appropriations bills have begun in both the House and Senate, with the Senate Appropriations Committee most recently approving bills for both the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies bills. The House Appropriations Committee has approved these bills, as well as Homeland Security and the Legislative Branch, and House Subcommittees have also considered the Energy-Water Bill and Financial Services. You can view the status of all 12 appropriations bills here. A date to mark up the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill has not been announced, so we do not yet know how these lower funding levels could affect Perkins funding or CTE programs.  

As legislators consider these bills, ACTE is closely monitoring developments in the appropriations process. We will keep you updated so that you can continue to advocate for the highest possible levels of CTE spending. Don’t forget to contact your House members in particular about protecting Perkins funding! Please let us know if you have any questions! 

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Representative: Support Perkins in FY 2024 Appropriations!

Earlier this week, House leaders announced that instead of allocating the amount of funding agreed to in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 for FY 2024 appropriations bills, which would have essentially provided level funding to domestic programs, they would write appropriations bills to the lower FY 2022 level requested by the most conservative House members.

While we are still awaiting the official topline funding level for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill, early reports estimate that the bill could be cut by almost 30%. The impact on Perkins funding and CTE programs could be significant. As the House starts to consider their appropriations bills, we need to generate as much support for CTE as possible to ensure the highest possible level of funding for Perkins within these tight caps.

ACTION NEEDED: CLICK HERE to ask your representative to support robust funding for Perkins CTE in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill!

You can send a message directly using the ACTE Action Center. Additionally, if you have a direct contact in your representative’s office, such as from a meeting with a staff member during NPS earlier this month or at another time, we urge you to call or email directly. You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and an operator will connect you to your requested House office. Please contact your representative today!

Congress, White House Strike Deal on Debt Limit

House Republicans and White House negotiators reached a deal over the weekend on a legislative package that would suspend the debt ceiling until January 2025, set limits on federal spending in fiscal years (FY) 2024 and 2025 for defense and non-defense programs, rescind some unspent COVID relief funding, change some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) rules that would limit eligibility for some, and reallocate some of the Internal Revenue (IRS) funding provided in the Inflation Reduction Act. Congressional leaders in the House and Senate are now working to pass H.R. 3746, The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, before the United States defaults on June 5. 

Notably, the Fiscal Responsibility Act will place caps on FY 2024 and FY 2025 non-defense funding, which includes funding for education and workforce development programs. After a number of adjustments, the deal will hold non-defense spending roughly flat in FY 2024 and increase it by 1% in 2025. If Congress does not complete this year’s appropriations process before January 1, 2024, the bill would also enact an automatic continuing resolution which would prevent a government shutdown by implementing a 1 percent across-the-board funding cut from the previous fiscal year. 

Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees were delayed in marking up their FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills because of the debt limit impasse. Once the debt limit bill has been passed, appropriators will resume work on an appropriations bill that will include funding for CTE programs. Their jobs will be much more challenging though, and it will be very difficult to secure any increases for any education or workforce programs under these caps.  

Despite these challenges, ACTE is closely monitoring developments in the appropriations process, and we will keep you updated so that you can continue to advocate for the highest possible levels of CTE spending within this budget agreement. Please let us know if you have any questions! 

Secretary Cardona Testifies Before House Education and the Workforce Committee

On May 16, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce during a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education.” The hearing included significant discussions about the value of CTE and the importance of a strong federal investment in CTE and workforce development programs.

Secretary Cardona highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to support CTE and global competitiveness in his opening statement, most notably the Administration’s $200 million investment in a competitive grant program to establish career-connected high schools. He also discussed the $43 million increase proposed for the Basic State Grant, and discussed the expected influx of new jobs created as a result of recent federal investments such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act.

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) spoke about the impact of Perkins funding on regional workforce needs, such as in eastern Connecticut, which boasts a robust shipbuilding industry. “The mission and the curriculum of career and technical education is perfectly positioned to help close the skills gap to fill many of those positions,” said Rep. Courtney. He also called attention to the potential impact of debt limit negotiations on Perkins funding.

Reps. Lori Chavez-Deremer (R-OR) and Committee Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) called out WIOA and short-term Pell as potential areas of bipartisan compromise, while Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN) asked how the Administration’s budget proposal would support development of the educator workforce. “Our budget proposal includes measures to drill down and fund pathway programs that are grow-your-own programs,” said Secretary Cardona in response.

Notably, House CTE Caucus co-chair Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA) asked Secretary Cardona about the viability of funding the Career-connected High Schools program instead of directing the funding through the Perkins Basic State Grant program.

“We recognize, sir, that if we continue with the way we're going, we're never going to meet the demand. What we need to do is not only engage in supporting state grants through Perkins, but also make sure that we're providing not only funding, but support, guidance and a push to evolve our high schools to create better college and career pathways to engage to our two-year schools and our workforce partners,” said Cardona of the proposal.

You can watch the full hearing at the link here.

Secretary Cardona Testifies Before Senate Appropriations Committee on FY24 Budget Request

On May 11, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. This hearing focused on President Biden’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget request for the Department of Education and was wide-ranging. It covered many topics including restarting student loan payments, addressing teacher shortages and funding for Title I schools, as well as significant content on CTE. 

Chairwoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) opened the hearing by highlighting how the recent passage of the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811) would negatively affect education funding and called for more funding for the department, including Perkins.   

Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) also stressed CTE in her opening remarks, stating that the federal government should continue to invest in programs like Perkins CTE State Grants and explore how higher education programs can better support students seeking meaningful work-based learning opportunities. Capito also highlighted the areas of agreement between herself and the Biden administration, which include short-term Pell Grants. 

In his testimony, Cardona highlighted that the President’s budget provides $1.47 billion for the Perkins CTE State Grants Program, which is an increase of $43 million over the fiscal year 2023 enacted level. He stated that the goal is “to expand and build new models for workforce development starting in middle and high school.” He also highlighted the $200 million competitive grant program proposed in the budget – the Career-connected High Schools initiative, and added, “These pipelines are critical to providing more good-paying jobs for all Americans – and giving students a clear pathway to compete in an ever-changing economy.” 

In addition to the statements made on CTE, one of the key moments for the hearing came when Sen. Baldwin questioned the Secretary. She asked about how the Secretary’s request for the Career-connected High Schools program would connect and leverage resources provided through the core Perkins Basic State Grant program. While the Secretary did not really address the connection between the two funding streams, he said that it is important for high schools and institutions of higher education to form relationships and partnerships so they can expand their reach. When they can work together, then they can create more options for students, which create more pathways or students to succeed. He also said that states should be systematizing the work. That means that states should lift up good programs and use them as models for high schools to evolve.  

Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith (R-MS) used her time to ask about how to increase CTE programs in rural communities. Cardona said that industry partners should be connected to both high schools and institutions of higher education, so that schools are aware of the careers and industries that are available to their students. He then noted that rural communities often feel as if they are not being listened to as much, and he added that it is important for the department to continue to engage with rural communities so that they are aware of the resources that are available to them.. 

You can view our coverage of President Biden’s FY 2024 budget request here, our statement about the budget here, as well as the full hearing here. 

As the appropriations process continues, stay tuned to CTE Policy Watch for the most up-to-date information that may affect the CTE community. 

 

Debt Limit Negotiations May Impact CTE Programs

Congress has made little progress in reaching a deal to extend the national debt limit and avoid default on the federal debt. Financial experts have suggested that the debt limit could be reached as early as June 1, leaving little time for negotiations. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) recently noted that a deal would need to be reached by next week in order to move it through the legislative process. However, despite a meeting on Tuesday at the White House between President Biden and bipartisan congressional leadership, no solution appears imminent.

As part of his negotiations to become Speaker of the House, Speaker McCarthy agreed to a plan that would cap non-defense discretionary spending at FY 2022 levels – an 8% cut for overall FY 2024 spending – and cap future spending at 1% annually until FY 2033. This plan, known as the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811) passed the House on a 217-215 party-line vote on April 26.

According to the Department of Education, ED programs would be subject to a 22% reduction in funding if the spending cap from the Limit, Save, Grow Act is enacted, because Republican leaders have said that defense, border security and veterans’ funding would not face any cuts. This would leave programs like Perkins at risk of significant cuts that would harm CTE and workforce development programs, and greatly impact their ability to serve learners in high-quality CTE programs nationwide.

Democratic leadership have said that the Limit, Save, Grow Act as it stands is a non-starter and have requested a clean increase of the debt ceiling by June 1 that is not tied to discussions about spending cuts. President Biden remarked yesterday that he planned to continue discussions with congressional leadership on Friday.

Both the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee are delayed in marking up the FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill as a result of the debt limit impasse. Leaders are waiting to determine if an agreement on federal spending caps is included in any deal related to the debt limit before moving forward.

ACTE is closely monitoring developments in the debt ceiling negotiations, and we will keep you updated with any advocacy requests and continue to advocate for the highest possible levels of education spending. Please let us know if you have any questions!

House Small Business Committee Holds Hearing on Strengthening Small Business

On April 26, the House Committee on Small Business’s Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development held a hearing titled “Help Wanted: Exploring How Alternative Paths to Student Debt Can Help to Strengthen Small Business,” featuring workforce development advocates that discussed a variety of career opportunities for students, , and how CTE can help provide these opportunities.

Subcommittee Chairman Marc Molinaro (R-NY) opened the hearing with a reminder of the value of CTE. “In addition to being shorter and less expensive than a traditional four-year degree, CTE represents a complete range of career fields across the entire economy, and is driven by the needs and demands of employers, said Chairman Molinaro. “Preparing students with the technical skills needed to obtain high-paying, in-demand jobs will prove to be crucial to bridging our nation’s skills and workforce gap.”

Subcommittee Ranking Member Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) called attention to the significant workforce needs created by new federal investments. “It is estimated that in 2023 alone, the construction industry will have to recruit 546,000 workers on top of its regular pace of hiring – just to keep up with demand. As we implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act over the next decade, the demand for workers will continue to grow,” said Ranking Member McGarvey. “Whether we are talking about apprenticeships, CTE or any other workforce development initiative, it is imperative that we look for ways to incentivize their use and make them more attractive to new demographics of workers.”

Meloni Raney, President and CEO of TEXO, which aims to unify, advocate and advance the construction industry in North and East Texas said in response to Chairman Molinaro that "There's a perception issue with construction.” TEXO is working to change these perceptions by providing salary ranges for construction trades jobs and offering examples to students that construction is an inclusive career field. Raney also emphasized the importance of industry partnerships and Perkins funding.

“CTE programs are expensive to administer and fund, with cost-intensive classrooms and equipment, and quality CTE instructors in short supply. This is especially true in construction where there is a shortage of quality instructors, as they are often recruited to work in the private sector at higher salary levels than school districts can provide. The modest funding increases for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in recent years is a good start, as it’s the primary source of federal support for CTE programs.”

“If we’re active in the schools and we build relationships with these students for four years, they are coming into our industry,” said Raney. “We have a school that sends us about 25 welders every single year that graduate and they come into our industry. But that is a very specific school that we targeted and that we are in partnership with for four years to get those graduates. So, we are seeing glimmers. What we have to do is get a scalable approach.”

Additionally, other witnesses spoke of the challenges of finding qualified workers to fill positions in vital industries in their states, labor regulations and the immense benefits of apprenticeship in the construction trades.

You can watch the full hearing here.

National Science Foundation Director Emphasizes Workforce Development in Budget Hearing

During testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Sethuraman Panchanathan emphasized the importance of rapid workforce development investments and scaling training programs to fill jobs created by investments in key industries, such as manufacturing, semiconductor research and development, and infrastructure.

As one portion of the NSF request for FY 2024, the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) will help cultivate new education pathways leading to a diverse and skilled future technical workforce comprising researchers, practitioners, technicians, entrepreneurs and educators that is fully prepared to enter the STEM workforce. Experiential Learning in Emerging Industries (ExLENT), a work-based learning model, and NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) will also support business and economic growth in underserved regions through equitable research, entrepreneurship and workforce development.

In response to questions about proposed budget cuts for fiscal year (FY) 2024 (as part of their debt limit negotiations, Republicans have proposed cutting discretionary spending back to FY 2022 levels), Panchanathan said such cuts could harm NSF workforce development efforts and hamstring implementation of new initiatives.

“A reduction of 22% will preclude NSF from being able to reach the estimated 10,000 individuals [entering engineering programs] in fiscal year 2024 alone, threatening this goal of the long-term competitiveness in semiconductors and other key technologies,” he said. “Our nation needs to train 280,000 new workers in semiconductors and microelectronics over the next five years.”

You can view the full hearing at the link here.

Secretary of Education Cardona Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee

Today, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies to discuss the Biden-Harris Administration’s fiscal year 2024 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education.

One key theme was the availability of high-skill jobs that will soon be available as a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act. To this end, Secretary Cardona described the Administration’s Career-Connected High Schools initiative, in addition to the $1.47 billion requested for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Grants program, an increase of $43 million over the fiscal year 2023 enacted level.

Notably, Sec. Cardona was asked by Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) about specific plans for STEM and computer science education in low income and rural communities.

“There's a set aside, $100 million, just for rural communities to make sure that we're giving them the opportunities to innovate around STEM education,” said Cardona. This funding would be distributed through the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) followed by asking whether he supports efforts to expand federal Pell grants to short-term, high-quality workforce training programs, also known as “short-term Pell.”

“You know, I've been telling educators throughout the country, ‘evolve, you have to change your programing to meet the demand,’ and I think part of that is us also recognizing the benefits of short-term Pell and being open to the benefits of programing that gives students the skills that they need in a shorter period of time,” said Cardona. “And in the same breath, I want to share with you that if we are to consider that, we have to also make sure that we're not putting our students in a disadvantage where they're using Pell dollars, not having it later and not ensuring high quality or accountability for good programing there.”

You can view our coverage of President Biden’s fiscal year 2024 budget request here, our statement about the budget here, as well as the full hearing at the YouTube link here.

As the appropriations process continues, stay tuned to CTE Policy Watch for the most up-to-date information that may affect the CTE community.

Advance CTE President Testifies on Rural Issues

On March 29, South Dakota state CTE director and Advance CTE president Laura Scheibe testified before the House Appropriations Committee during a hearing titled “Addressing the Challenges of Rural America.” Additional witnesses were present from the Department of Education, National Rural Health Association, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.

Scheibe fielded questions from committee members and detailed South Dakota’s efforts to support secondary and postsecondary CTE students through a variety of methods, including Student Support Counselors who assist first-generation students with transportation, affordable housing and navigating postsecondary education. In addition, she illuminated the importance of Perkins funding and flexible distribution of Perkins funds.

“This federal investment means our students learn on modern, industry-grade equipment so they come out workforce ready,” Scheibe noted. “Additionally, our state's Reserve Fund, a flexible portion of Perkins, is a critical tool that allows us to further expand activities benefiting our rural communities. At the secondary level, this funding supports innovation and equipment not otherwise possible for small districts.”

In her opening statement, Scheibe highlighted that CTE is no longer a choice between training and four-year university degrees. “Rather, CTE is a ‘yes, and’” said Scheibe. “[CTE] is a pathway along a continuum that can meet learners where they are – both literally and figuratively – with stackable credentials that have workplace and personal value.”

Scheibe left lawmakers with a reminder that CTE is addressing employer and industry needs nationwide. “CTE is achieving real success for learners across the country, and the federal investment is vital to that success,” said Scheibe.

You can watch the full hearing here.