Government Affairs Update Week of August 4, 2011
Date Posted: 08/04/2011
Week of August 4, 2011
The big news out of Washington this week is that Congress and the White House finally came to an agreement on raising the federal debt ceiling and managing the federal budget. If you haven't read it yet, please click here to see NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci's statement on the debt ceiling/deficit reduction agreement. Below are more details on the agreement, how it impacts Head Start, and what you can do to support Head Start!
Major Outcomes of the Deal on the Debt Limit
After an exhausting and tense negotiation - one that has taken all summer - the final agreement passed the House on Monday August 1, the Senate on Tuesday August 2, and was signed into law by the President hours before the deadline on Tuesday August 2. The deal is extremely complex, but here are a few key features:
- Raises the Federal Debt Ceiling by $400 billion initially, followed by allowing the Ceiling to be raised again up to a total of $1.2 - $1.5 trillion if certain conditions are met.
- Puts in place annual discretionary spending caps - from $1.043 trillion in FY 2012 to $1.234 trillion in FY 2021 - which will provide roughly $917 billion in discretionary spending cuts over the next 10 years.
- Establishes a 12-person "supercommittee" (3 House R's, 3 House D's, 3 Senate D's, 3 Senate R's) responsible for coming up with $1.2 trillion or more in deficit reduction.
- Stipulates that if the supercommittee is unable to come to an agreement or if its recommendations aren't accepted or fail to reach $1.2 trillion in cuts, a trigger would kick-in to automatically cut at least $1.2 trillion across the board in discretionary spending cuts - including defense spending.
- Provides an extra $20 billion in funding for Pell Grants for the next two years.
What the Debt Limit Deal Means for Head Start
Simply put, the deal means that Head Start is vulnerable and that we will be facing a significant uphill battle to avoid devastating cuts. The two good things that came out of this deal are (1) the extra funding for Pell grants, since Pell grants come from the same bill that funds Head Start, and (2) the fact that immediate cuts to discretionary spending are higher than in the House proposed Ryan Budget. We do have an opportunity to avoid drastic funding cuts in FY 2012.
However, the "supercommittee," which hasn't been appointed yet, has been tasked with making massive cuts and Congressional leadership has made clear that everything and anything can be cut-including Head Start. Also, if across the board cuts take place, Head Start is NOT one of the exempted programs. The bottom line is that we have a lot of work to do over the coming months to make sure Congress doesn't reduce funding to Head Start.
Yasmina Vinci Responds to the Debt Limit Deal
On Wednesday August 3, 2011, Yasmina Vinci sent a letter to the entire Head Start field after the debt limit deal was reached. In it, she discusses how we got to where we are and what the Head Start community can do to save and support Head Start. If you have not read her letter, please click here.
Together We Can Work to Keep Head Start Funded! Are You Ready?
There is a very real possibility that the debt ceiling deal could cause thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of children and families to lose Head Start services. Where we stand when the budget battle dust settles will depend on how hard we are willing to work. We are calling on you to recruit parents, staff, and members of your community to join our national effort to save Head Start.
The effort begins now. Your Members of Congress will be home during the August recess and will likely be hosting public events such as Town Hall meetings. It is crucial that we attend these events so that your Members of Congress understand just how important Head Start and Early Head Start are in your community. This may be the only opportunity we have. Members of Congress listen to their constituents, so it is critical for you to attend and speak.
Contact your State or Regional Head Start Association or visit your Member of Congress' Web site to find a Town Hall meeting near you.
To help you prepare for your local Town Hall meeting, NHSA has developed several potential questions and talking points that you can bring up with your Member of Congress. Take a look at the questions here, pick one that you feel comfortable talking about, and ask your Member of Congress for a response!
Don't forget to let us know about your experience. Email Emmalie Dropkin (edropkin@nhsa.org) or contact us via Facebook or Twitter.
This is a tremendous opportunity to ensure that your Member of Congress will stand up for Head Start in the coming months- make your voice heard!
You Thought It Here First! - New Ideas to Meet New Challenges
Register now for our Policy and Advocacy Institutes, Skills Institutes, Head Start Celebration, and Capitol Hill visits. They are offered in conjunction with and scheduled the day before and the day following the Office of Head Start Birth to Five Leadership Institute in Washington.
These events will bring you to the center of the conversations about how federal budget decisions will affect Head Start and Early Head Start.
As always, thanks for all your hard work and don't forget to check out NHSA's social media outlets!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Head-Start-Association/282420343099
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#natlheadstart
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/nationalheadstart
Blog: http://blog.nhsa.org