Subcommittee Passes FY08 Education Spending Bill

Last Thursday, the House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee marked up their fiscal year 2008 (FY08) spending bill, which passed by a voice vote. The bill provides $152 billion for Labor-HHS-Education, exceeding the President’s proposal by $20 billion. Specifically, the subcommittee appropriated $61.7 billion for education, $5.9 billion more than the White House requested. Within that number, the subcommittee bill would provide $975 million more to NCLB programs than Bush requested.

Last Thursday, the House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee marked up their fiscal year 2008 (FY08) spending bill, which passed by a voice vote. The bill provides $152 billion for Labor-HHS-Education, exceeding the President’s proposal by $20 billion. Specifically, the subcommittee appropriated $61.7 billion for education, $5.9 billion more than the White House requested. Within that number, the subcommittee bill would provide $975 million more to NCLB programs than Bush requested.
The bill provides increases for a majority of programs under the education title. The largest single increase in the bill is a $2 billion, or 14.6% boost over fiscal 2007 for Pell grants, which are awarded to low-income college students. The maximum grant would rise by $390, to $4,700. Another large increase would go to Title I formula grants which would increase by nearly $2 billion above its current level of $12.8 billion. Lawmakers said the additional funds would help the 55,000 Title I schools serve an additional 161,000 students.
Money for the newly-funded Title I School Improvement grants would increase from its current $125 million allocation to $500 million — a figure that would satisfy President Bush’s funding request. Special education grants would not benefit as much. The subcommittee mark would provide $465 million more to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B grants than Bush requested, but that is only $174 million above the FY 2007 level. Some members said they would try to increase the IDEA grants as the bill makes its way through the legislative process.
One major cut in the bill is to the troubled Reading First program. Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) proposed funding the program at $400 million, which cuts more than $600 million from the previous fiscal year. Chairman Obey has promised not to replace the spending cuts until the U.S. Department of Education (ED) answers for mismanagement of the program. The subcommittee also proposed a $46.5 million cut to Safe and Drug Free Schools State Grants.
In an example of legislating with the purse, Obey and the subcommittee tucked a provision that would prohibit ED from using any of its funds to “promulgate, implement or enforce” new federal regulations related to accreditation into the spending bill. The provision, which is called a “limitation” under House rules, is a time-honored tactic used by members of Congressional appropriations committees to stop federal agencies from taking regulatory or other actions that the lawmakers oppose. Officials at accreditation agencies have complained that ED is trying to accomplish their objections through regulations, instead of letting Congress act through legislation.
A chart of the proposed spending levels is attached to this Update.
Resources:
Drew Armstrong, “Pell Grants Boosted, Reading Program Cut as Panel Approves Largest Domestic Bill,” CQ Today, June 7, 2007.
Stephen Langel, “Labor-HHS Approps Bill Passes Subcommittee by Voice Vote,” Congress Now, June 7, 2007.
Doug Lederman, “Congressional Timeout for Spellings,” Inside Higher Ed, June 8, 2007.
Frank Wolfe, “House Panel Clears $61.7 Billion for Education,” Education Daily, June 8, 2007.
Author: SAS