Lawmakers Return to Capitol Hill
Since the early part of August federal legislators have been in home states and districts as part of Congress’ annual summertime recess. This week lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill and are facing a fast approaching end of the month deadline to pass federal fiscal year 2023 (FY23) funding legislation. Throughout most of the year, Democrats and Republicans have been unable to find consensus on the 12 individual spending bills that compose the federal government, and which are due annually by September 30. Given this lack of agreement, lawmakers have re-focused their attention this week on negotiating a shorter-term, stop gap funding legislation, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR). This legislative measure will simply extend current FY22 funding levels for all federal operations and programs, like the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), for a specified amount of time.
At the moment, lawmakers are negotiating the length of time this CR will cover and what, if any, additional provisions—beyond this extension of FY22 funding levels—will be included. NSBA’s advocacy team currently anticipates that this CR will last sometime after the upcoming midterm elections set for November, potentially into early December. As these talks continue, NSBA will continue to advocate for robust investments in K-12 education programs, including ESSA, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), and other school board federal funding priorities.
Administration Update
President Biden Nominates New Head for RSA
Late last Friday, September 2, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Danté Quintin Allen to be the next Commissioner of the Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA) at the U.S. Department of Education (USED). The RSA is tasked with supporting states that deliver vocational rehabilitation and related services for individuals with disabilities to ensure they are able to find and sustain employment, live independently, and integrate with the wider community and labor market. Allen currently serves as the Executive Director for CalABLE—a statewide program in California that provides savings and investment plans for individuals with disabilities. More information on the announcement can be found here. A date for further consideration in the Senate of Allen’s nomination has not yet been set.
Cardona Announces Back-to-School Tour
On Wednesday, September 7, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) announced that they will be undertaking a back-to-school bus tour beginning next week. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, First Lady Jill Biden, Second Gentleman Douglass Emhoff, and a number of other high-ranking USED officials will be participating in the week-long, multistate bus tour which will includes stops in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Set to begin next Monday, September 12, the tour is intended to highlight a number of the Administration’s efforts to support states, schools, students, and families as they return to campuses this fall for the for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. More about the tour can be found here.
- Courtesy of NSBA's Federal Advocacy & Public Policy Update - Week of September 9, 2022
