Legislation & Politics

Letter to Senators about the FY 2006 Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education appropriations bll

October 26, 2005

Dear Senator:

I am writing on behalf of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to urge your support for several amendments that will be offered on the Senate floor during debate on the FY 2006 Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill.

Although the overall Senate bill is an improvement over the House bill, the Senate Appropriations Committee had to work under extremely unrealistic constraints. We are disappointed that funding for many important domestic programs has been so substantially constrained. While some programs are continued at the same levels as this year, others have been cut. Funding for all of them falls far short of the amounts needed.

Education and training programs offer millions of Americans the skills needed to find family sustaining jobs and the opportunity to be productive members of our society. It is unfortunate that the workforce programs, including training for adult and displaced workers and labor exchange activities through the employment service, have been cut or not kept up with inflation. Unfortunately, because of the cut in reemployment services through the employment service, many unemployment insurance recipients, including those displaced by the recent hurricanes, will not receive the help they need in finding new jobs.

Several amendments, however, would provide more funding for educational opportunities, a key to future economic opportunity for our young people. We strongly urge you to support an amendment by Senators Kennedy and Clinton to increase the maximum Pell grant award by $200 million, an amendment by Senator Byrd to increase No Child Left Behind funding by $5 billion to begin to make good on promises of increased federal funding at the time this law was enacted, an amendment by Senator Dodd to increase Head Start Funding by $153 million and an amendment by Senators Clinton and Dodd to increase Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding by about $4 billion to the FY 2006 authorized level.

AFSCME also supports other efforts to reach out a helping hand to those who need one. Senator Clinton may offer an amendment to restore $125 million for necessary health treatment, monitoring and income support promised to 9/11 rescue and recovery workers who put aside concern about their own health in order to help with rescue and recovery at Ground Zero. We certainly owe it to these workers not to abandon them. In addition, we expect an amendment to be offered to increase assistance under the Low Income Energy Assistance program to help to low income individuals, many of them elderly, who will face skyrocketing heating bills this winter.

The limited funding levels in this bill demonstrate the inevitable outcome of the misguided fiscal priorities of the last four years which have placed tax cuts for the wealthy and special favors for the few above providing opportunity, fairness and support for the many. It's time to call a halt and begin to reverse these priorities by approving these amendments.


Sincerely,

Charles M. Loveless
Director of Legislation

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