House Panel Approves Big Increase for School Counseling Program!
LaMarr
ACA UPDATE: House Panel Approves Big Increase for School Counseling
Program!
Yesterday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS-ED) approved a spending
measure that would boost funding for the Elementary and Secondary
School Counseling Program (ESSCP) to $61.5 million for fiscal year
2008. This is a $26.85 million increase over last year, and the
highest funding level yet for the program! (Last year, the same House
panel-albeit under Republican leadership-approved only $22 million for
the program.)
Funding the ESSCP at $61.5 million would, for the first time, allow
support for counseling services in middle and high schools. Currently
funded at $34.65 million, the ESSCP provides funds only for elementary
schools (e.g., K-5) because the statutory trigger of $40 million has
never been met. Funds beyond $40 million, the base amount for
elementary programs, may then be used in middle and high schools.
Under the House panel spending measure, $21.5 million would now be
available for secondary schools beginning in school year 2008-09. To
read the Subcommittee's press release, go to:
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/FY%202008%20LHHS%20Appropriations%20Subcommittee%20Markup.pdf
Next Steps
It's important to keep in mind that passage of the Labor-HHS-ED
spending bill by the House panel is merely the first step in the
annual appropriations process. The full House Appropriations
Committee is scheduled to approve the Labor-HHS-ED appropriations bill
on June 14th, with the bill scheduled to go to House floor for a vote
the following week. The Senate will repeat the same process in the
coming month (i.e., subcommittee mark-up, full committee mark-up,
passage by the full Senate), and then the final bill must go to the
president for his signature. The White House has stated that the
president would veto any spending bills, which exceed his budget
request. So stay tuned....
We are very pleased that the House Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations
Subcommittee chose to ignore President Bush's request to eliminate all
funding for the school counseling program, as proposed in his FY 2008
budget released in February. As the appropriations process moves
forward, ACA will work to urge members of Congress to support a final
funding level of $61.5 million for the ESSCP.
ACA has been spearheading the fight for more funding for the ESSCP,
and we've joined other organization in lobbying members of the House
and Senate appropriations committees responsible for education
funding. However, your support is what made the difference. In the
last four months, ACA members have sent nearly 1,500 e-mails and
letters to members of Congress and the Administration urging them to
increase funding for ESSCP. We are convinced that grassroots lobbying
by ACA members and others helped save the program from elimination,
and contributed to the potential, historic funding increase. Thank
you, and keep up the good work!
Go to: http://capwiz.com/counseling to send a message to your Senators
and Representative to urge them to support a funding level of $61.5
million for the ESSCP in the final FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human
Services and Education appropriations bill.
Say Thank You
Members of Congress need (and like) to hear when they have done
something good. If your member of Congress is on the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education (see list below),
please take a moment to send him/her a thank you note for supporting
the school counseling program. Go
to the ACA legislative action center at www.capwiz.com/counseling to
send a message now.
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies
Dave Obey (WI), Chair
Nita M. Lowey (NY)
Rosa L. DeLauro (CT)
Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (IL)
Patrick J. Kennedy (RI)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA)
Barbara Lee (CA)
Tom Udall (NM)
Michael Honda (CA)
Betty McCollum (MN)
Tim Ryan (OH)
James T. Walsh (NY), Ranking Member
Ralph Regula (OH)
John E. Peterson (PA)
Dave Weldon (FL)
Michael K. Simpson (ID)
Dennis R. Rehberg (MT)
For more information, visit the ACA Public Policy web site at
http://www.counseling.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=PUBLIC_POLICY,
or contact Chris Campbell at (800) 347-6647 x-241 or e-mail
ccam...@counseling.org.
To unsubscribe from the GR-Listserv, please send an e-mail to
cl...@counseling.org.
Christopher C. Campbell, M.A. Ed.
Government Relations Representative
American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Avenue, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22304
703.823.9800 x241
703.823-0252 fax
703-405-9671 mobile
www.counseling.org
ACA 2008 Annual Conference
Honolulu, Hawaii, March 26-30, 2008
Register Online Now!