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Congress Adjourns for August Recess
Today, August 1, 2008, the House passed the Military Construction-VA Appropriations bill on a 409-4 party-line vote and then adjourned until September. The Senate is also expected to adjourn today. Congress resumes the week of September 8.
Senate Drafting Second Economic Stimulus
According to a release providing details of his economic stimulus measure, Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd’s bill would provide more than $24 billion in aid, including $10 billion for infrastructure improvements and $10 billion for natural disaster recovery.
To access a copy of the press release, click here:
http://usmayors.org/workforce/documents/ChairmanByrd'sRelease073008.pdf
The Chairman’s mark also proposes $250 million for Dislocated Worker employment and training and $250 million for Youth employment and training activities. The bill would create over 200,000 jobs here in America and thousands of Americans would be trained for new job opportunities.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA) has said that the stimulus should provide approximately $50 billion in aid. House and Senate Democratic leaders have said that they intend to finish work on the package in September after the August recess.
Of the $10 billion provided for infrastructure, approximately $4.8 billion would go to transportation improvements, including $3.57 billion for highways, $892 million for mass-transit agencies, $100 million for Amtrak and $200 million for airport improvements.
Another $1.5 billion in infrastructure funding would be used for energy initiatives – with $900 million slated for the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program.
The stimulus package also includes $1.25 billion for low income heating and cooling assistance and $1.28 billion for investment in science and other initiatives.
Although the committee had been scheduled to take up the bill last week, Chairman Byrd canceled the markup upon learning that an attempt to add language repealing a ban on offshore drilling was likely to pass.
INVITE YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TO
VISIT YOUR ONE-STOPS
Members of Congress will be returning to their districts for an extended summer recess until September 8th. This provides an excellent opportunity for you to invite members of Congress to your One-Stops to show them first-hand the value of the investment they have made in the local workforce system and make the case for continued support when they return in the fall.
Please discuss the following with your members:
- Congress will likely pass a Continuing Resolution in September to fund the government through the beginning of 2009. While it is disappointing that Congress was unable to complete its House Labor-HHS markup, we are pleased that both the House and Senate bills provide an increase over last year's overall funding levels and that there was no attempt to use WIA as an offset for other funding increases. Please ask your members of Congress to support the increased funding for WIA programs in the upcoming Continuing Resolution or in any final Labor-HHS appropriations taken up next year.
- Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd’s press release detailing the Senate’s second stimulus
package includes $250 million for Dislocated Worker employment and training and $250 million for Youth employment and training activities. Please ask your Senators to support this funding in a second stimulus package.
Higher Education Act Reauthorization Passes House and Senate
On Thursday, July 29, the House passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HR 4137) on a 380 to 49 vote. The Senate also passed the bill 83-8 on Thursday, sending it to the White House where President Bush is expected to sign it.
Long overdue, the bill sets higher education policy for the next five years. The final bill would increase the maximum authorized Pell grant for low-income students to $8,000 a year by the 2014-15 academic year – up from $5,800 -- and would allow grants to be used year-round and by part-time students.
Sector Bill Introduced
On Thursday, July 29, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced legislation which would represent the first Congressionally authorized investment in sector partnerships.
The SECTORS Act of 2008 (S. 3368) will help prepare workers for middle-skill jobs by providing grants for sector partnerships in specific high-demand industries at the regional level. The bill would create new capacity within the federal workforce development system through the Workforce Investment Act.
To access the legislation and bill summary, click here:
legislation, bill summary.
Unemployment Rate Increases in July
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate rose to 5.7 percent in July, with a 51,000 loss in non-farm jobs. Employment continued to fall in construction, manufacturing and several service-providing industries.
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