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House Advances Second Package of Spending Bills

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed their second package of spending bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. The package, which would fund the bulk of the federal government for the next fiscal year, includes funding for the U.S. Department of Education.

The package passed with Democratic support on a party-line vote for several reasons, namely that it exceeds the budget caps set forth in a bipartisan budget agreement last summer and includes policies that are non-starters for House Republicans.

The bill would provide small increases to the education programs that CEC advocates for. Specifically, the bill provides:

  • 12,957,892,000 for Part B Grants to States, which is $193,500,000 more than FY 2020
  • $397,620,000 for Preschool Grants, which is $3,500,000 more than FY 2020
  • $481,850,000 for Grants for Infants and Families, which is $4,850,000 above FY 2020
  • s $255,633,000 for the IDEA National Activities program, which is $5,917,000 more than FY 2020
    • Included in that sum is $90,700,000 for Personnel Preparation, which is $1,000,000 above FY 2020
  • $58,500,000 for Research in Special Education, which is $2,000,000 more than FY 2020
  • $14,000,000 for the Javits Gifted and Talented Education Program, which is $1,000,000 more than FY 2020

Finally, a report accompanying the bill includes language—spearheaded by CEC’s Teacher Education Division (TED)—that recognizes the “critical role the Personnel Preparation program plays in helping to address the nation’s shortage of teachers for students with disabilities,” and ensures a leadership competition next year.

The House-passed spending package is a non-starter in the Senate, where the appropriations process has stalled. As September 30 fast-approaches, it is increasingly likely that Congress will need to pass a stop-gap funding measure, known as a “continuing resolution,” to ensure the government can continue to run until an FY 2021 appropriations deal can be made.

Posted:  5 August, 2020
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