House Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee Approves 2010 Bill

Last Friday the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education approved its version of the 2010 appropriations bill for programs under its jurisdiction. Overall, the bill increases the total Department of Education appropriation by more than $6.0 billion from 2009 levels with large increases for several major programs. However, the House bill does not fulfill all of the President's requests.

Most notably, the House Subcommittee did not honor the President's request to increase the allocation for School Improvement Grants under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act by nearly $1.0 billion. While the President's plan would have diverted funds from Title I Grants to local education agencies (LEAs) into the School Improvement Grants, the House Subcommittee bill maintains 2009 levels for LEA grants and School Improvement Grants. However, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides an additional $3.0 billion in School Improvement Grants for 2009 and 2010.

Similarly, the House Subcommittee bill does not provide the $500 million in early childhood Title I grants requested by the President. According to Chairman Obey's (D-WI) prepared statement, Title I Grants can already be used for preschool purposes.

However, the House Subcommittee bill does increase support for the Teacher Incentive Fund program by $446 million, just short of the President's request, bringing funding to $543 million. The funding includes a required rigorous evaluation of the funded interventions. Safe Schools and Citizenship Education did not fair as well. The House Subcommittee goes further in cutting the program than the President requested by almost $18 million for a total appropriation of $397 million, down from $690 million in 2009.

The House Subcommittee bill also funds four other major reform programs requested by the President. These allocations include $250 million for start-up charter schools, $50 million for a high school drop-out prevention program, $10 million for Promise Neighborhoods like the Harlem Children's Zone, and more than $400 million for the Striving Readers program.

The bill includes funding for the Pell Grant program, which is in opposition to President Obama's proposal to make the program an entitlement, thus taking it out of the appropriations process altogether. The Subcommittee reports, however, that its bill will support a Pell Grant of $5,550 for 2010, up $200 from the current year.

Finally, the House Subcommittee bill does not honor the President's request to provide an additional $100 million for the What Works and Innovation Fund. This new program received $650 earlier this year through the ARRA.

Now that the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee has approved its bill, it must be voted on by the full Appropriations Committee and then the full House. Similarly, the Senate Subcommittee must release and approve its bill before any final agreements on 2010 appropriations are reached. Ed Money Watch will follow this process as it unfolds.