Week of July 12, 2010

This Week In Washington:

Congress reconvened on Monday after its Independence Day recess, and the House of Representatives continued to take action marking up its appropriation bills. As part of the Emergency Supplemental which passed on July 1st, the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, John Spratt (D-SC), proposed a “budget enforcement resolution” – instead of a traditional budget resolution – and it passed the House by a vote of 215 – 210. While this “budget enforcement resolution” sets discretionary spending for Fiscal Year 2011 at $1.2 trillion, $7 billion less than President Obama’s budget proposal, it is unlike traditional budget resolutions because it does not outline where specifically these cuts should be made.  MORE

Week of June 14, 2010

This Week In Washington:

Congress has returned to the Nation’s Capitol following the Memorial Day Recess for what proved to be a very short work week.  Last Tuesday was an important primary election day in many states, so no real work was started until mid-week.  The results of the primary races were mixed, and pundits spent the rest of the week trying to make sense of them.  While little has happened in the way of floor debates, intense negotiating over the Jobs and Tax Extenders legislation and the FY 2010 Emergency Supplemental Spending bill continue.  The House has passed the former, and the Senate the latter, but neither bill was really satisfactory to either chamber. MORE

Week of June 7, 2010

This Week In Washington:

Last week, Members of Congress stayed home for a week-long recess to celebrate Memorial Day. Before the recess began, several important items on the legislative calendar were completed. The third time proved to be the charm for approving a bill to reauthorize the America COMPETEs Act (HR 5116). Though smaller and less generous in terms of funding than originally envisioned, the bill was hailed by STEM advocates as an important accomplishment of retiring House Science and Technology Committee Chairman, Bart Gordon (D-TN). Included in this issue is information on Budget and Appropriations, new Early Childhood Education Initiatives, Events and Publications. MORE

Week of May 31, 2010

This Week In Washington:

There is nothing like a pending holiday with the promise of parades, picnics and “politicking” that mark the Memorial Day Recess to spur the otherwise recalcitrant Senate into action.  All last week, the Senate was hard at work trying to move an emergency supplemental spending bill that will provide funds for the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; the natural disasters that have plagued the nation of late; and other critical needs that can be paid for by printing money that is then added to the federal debt.  Unfortunately, the $23 billion Jobs for Education bill did not rise to that level of urgency. Included in this issue is information on Budget and Appropriations, new Early Childhood Education Initiatives, Events and Publications. MORE

Week of May 24, 2010

This Week In Washington:

The Senate debate on the Financial Services Reform bill finally ended last week.  After Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) effort to bring the bill to a final vote was at first stymied by absent Senators and disgruntled Democratic colleagues, and consideration of so many amendments and variations of amendments that many of them sounded like ones already considered, the bill finally passed Thursday night by a vote of 59-39.  Included in this issue is information on Budget and Appropriations, new Early Childhood Education Initiatives, Events and Publications. MORE

Week of May 17, 2010

This Week In Washington:

It continues to be a tumultuous week on Capitol Hill with little progress made on Congress’ long “to do” list. The heated debate on a financial reform package moves in fits and starts trying to get closer to the finish line.  Today Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) tried to end debate on the bill by calling for a cloture vote; however it failed by three votes so it will be at least another week before there is a final vote on the bill. In the House, an effort to reauthorize the once wildly popular America COMPETEs Act fell into contentious disarray two times, forcing Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to pull the bill from the floor before a final vote even when changes were included in the bill requested by the Republicans. MORE

Week of May 10, 2010

This Week in Washington:

The Senate remained mired in financial reform legislation this week, and while they have made some progress on the bill, the end is not yet in sight.  At last count, there were over 500 filed amendments remaining to be considered, guaranteeing at least one more week of debate if not more.  Money talk in the House has focused on a tax extenders bill that Members hope to pass before the Memorial Day Recess so they will have some positive news to take home to constituents.  Included in this issue is information on Budget and Appropriations, new Early Childhood Education Initiatives, Events and Publications. MORE

Early Learning in ESEA overview

Week of May 3, 2010

This Week in Washington:

The news of the day was the surprising announcement by Representative David Obey (D-WI), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee as well as the Labor, Health and Human Services and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee, that after 42 years in the U.S. Congress he will not seek re-election in November.  He went on to say that “I’m ready to turn the page, and I think, frankly, that my district is ready for someone new to make a fresh start.” Noting that when he was first elected to Congress, one of his three primary goals was to “expand federal support for education in order to expand opportunity for every American” he was pleased that in the last three years, “Congress has been able to move a large amount of federal resources to do just that.” Included in this issue is information on Budget and Appropriations, new Early Childhood Education Initiatives, Events and Publications.  MORE

Week of April 26, 2010

This Week in Washington:

Week of April 19, 2010

This Week in Washington:

April 15th –tax day—came and went without an FY 2011 Budget Resolution in sight. Conflicting reports have been circulating about whether Congress intends to pass a budget resolution or simply “deem” spending allocations to each appropriations subcommittee so they can get on with their work.  Included in this issue is information on Budget and Appropriations, new Early Childhood Education Initiatives, Events and Publications.  MORE

Week of April 12, 2010

This Week in Washington:

Congress returned to the Nation’s Capitol on Monday after a much-needed two week recess.  The long and contentious debate surrounding healthcare reform had frayed nerves and intensified partisan disagreements.  It is hoped that the next six week work period will be productive and somewhat friendlier, as the to-do list is long and the number of legislative days remaining on the calendar surprisingly short. Included in this update is information on Budget and Appropriations, ESEA Reauthorization and Early Childhood Education Events and Publications.   Education policy was front and center... MORE 

Week of March 29, 2010

This week in Washington:

After a round the clock effort, on the heels of a 12-month debate, the health care reform bill was signed last week and the reconciliation bill was signed yesterday.  As a result, Capitol Hill has been a pretty quiet place this week.  Members and staff have left the Capitol grounds for a much-needed two-week spring recess.  Although given the tension on the floor of the Congress during the debate, Members will likely be forced to continue the healthcare conversation with overheated constituents in their home states and districts this week... MORE

Week of March 15, 2020

This week in Washington:

Last week, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) joined his House counterpart George Miller (D-CA), Chair of the Education and Labor Committee, in announcing a series of seven hearings on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and his intent to mark
up a bill by the end of May. At every turn there is mention of a bipartisan process to craft a new ESEA bill and as long as that is the goal, the reality of passing a bill may actually be achievable. Absent a bipartisan effort, the challenge of meeting such an ambitious timetable is enormous... MORE

Week of March 8, 2010

This Week In Washington:

i3 Updates: On Monday, March 8, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the Department of Education's final priorities for the $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund (i3).  The long-awaited announcement, coming five months after the proposed regulations for the i3 program were released in October of 2009, was accompanied by the release of the grant application, as well as an announcement regarding three informational workshops to be held in the coming weeks... MORE

Week of March 1, 2010

This Week In Washington:

Secretary Arne Duncan spent over two hours with the House Budget Committee last Thursday, and he faced a number of questions about the Department’s spending and reform plans. Areas of concern included the appropriate balance between federal and local policy decisions; how states will deal with the “funding cliff” they will face after all of the stimulus money is disbursed; and, whether some of the proposed program consolidations would dilute the intentions of the underlying programs...  More (PDF opens in new window)

Week of February 22, 2010

This Week In Washington:

The Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Education and Labor Committee announced their intention to move forward with the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) this year. The Administration was particularly pleased by this announcement, as its education spending plan reflects a rewritten ESEA bill that will be hard for appropriators to consider if authorizing legislation is not written and passed in record time—six months, to be exact... More (PDF opens in new window)