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More budget news.

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Jim Cassell                                        jwcassell@UNC.EDU
Institute for Research in Social Science           Phone:  919-962-0782
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill           Fax:    919-962-4777
Chapel Hill, NC  27599-3355   USA

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 12 JUN 1995 15:26:38 MST
From: Gene Glass <ATG2G%ASUACAD.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Newgroups: bit.listserv.aera
Subject: AERA> Action Alert

  From AERA Governmental & Professional Liason Program:


                         AERA ACTION ALERT

      CONGRESS THREATENS TO ELIMINATE EDUCATION RESEARCH

                           JUNE, 1995

  The Department of Education's Research program has been
recommended for elimination by the  House Budget Committee,
signaling the first step in what will be a long fight to
maintain federal  funding.  According to a report
accompanying the 1996 House Budget Resolution, elimination of
Research  and all other Office of Educational Research and
Improvement (OERI) programs except Statistics and
Assessments would produce over $1 billion in savings.  These
cuts would account for about 0.1% of over  $1 trillion needed
to balance the budget by 2002, providing significant savings
at minimal political cost.

  Both the House and Senate have cut education dramatically
in passing budget resolutions which provide a  seven year
blueprint for federal spending.  While the Senate does not
mention specific program cuts, the  House plan goes much
deeper in education by eliminating over 100 programs and
cutting over $67 billion.   However, the only binding figures
in the budget resolution are the yearly caps for
discretionary spending  and the reconciliation instructions
to authorizing committees to produce savings from their
mandatory/entitlement programs.  In other words, no specific
recommendations are binding; appropriations  and authorizing
committees can decide how best to reach the broad targets in
the budget resolution.

  If we act quickly and energetically, education research may
be saved.  If we fail to act, Congress  will assume that
popular support does not exist and follow the advice of the
Budget Committee by  eliminating federal support for
education research.  Because the new majority party in
Congress  does not view education as a federal priority, we
can no longer rely on Washington special interest  groups.
Only constituents across the country can convince the
Republican majority that American's  want the federal
government to make education and education research a federal
priority.

  What can you do?

1. Write, call, fax, e-mail, or visit your representative or
senators now.  Letters can be addressed to:

       Name; U.S. House/U.S. Senate; Washington, DC  20515
(House) or 20510 (Senate).  Send copies to these key
committee leaders:  Senators Specter, Harkin, Hatfield, Byrd,
Jeffords, Pell, Kassebaum, and Kennedy and Representatives
Porter, Obey, Livingston, Cunningham, Kildee, Goodling, and
Clay.

Please forward copies to AERA.

2. Write to or meet with your local newspaper, radio station,
or television station to explain the benefits of research to
schools as well as the threats from cuts. Please inform AERA
of any appearances.

3. Encourage other education, research, and academic groups
to include education research on their agenda and to follow
steps 1 and 2.

4. Encourage teachers, parents, and other concerned citizens
to follow steps 1 and 2 in order to demonstrate that others
oppose cuts to education research.

  What should you emphasize?

1. Importance of education research.

2. Need for the federal government to support education
research.

3. Important gains which education has made as a result using
specific, real-life examples.

4. Need in general for federal support of education.  The
larger the total pool of funds for education, the larger the
available funds for education research.

  In the past, AERA Action Alerts have targeted a specific
vote on a specific bill.  However, protecting  federal
education research in light of today's drastic changes will
require constant lobbying during the  lengthy multi-step
legislative process.  In providing this initial information,
we ask that you follow the  action in Congress and react
accordingly.  If and when there is an immediate and direct
threat to education  research, we will follow-up with an
additional Alert; but do not wait for us before acting.  With
the  appropriations process fast approaching, we now need
generalized letters covering the above four points.

  To help you follow the action in Congress and react
accordingly, following is an estimated legislative  schedule
for the four key bills which will have the greatest affect on
education research:

A. Fiscal Year 1996 Budget Resolution

1. May:  House and Senate passed their budgets.

2. June:  Conference (House/Senate compromise) budget
resolution markup (write) and vote in House       and Senate.
(President does not sign/veto.)

B. Fiscal Year 1996 Appropriations

1. Mid-June:  602(b) process divides discretionary funds
among the 13 Subcommittees (including Labor/HHS/ED).

2. June-August:  13 Subcommittees in both House and Senate
markup and vote on their bill. Full Committees markup and
vote on all 13 bills.  House and Senate vote on each bill.

3. August-September:  13 conference bills written and voted
on by House and Senate.  President signs/vetoes each bill.

C. Elimination of Research and/or OERI (Such a bill is not
definite.)

1. July:  House Economic and Educational Opportunities
Committee may hold hearings.

2. July-September:  Possible markup and vote on by committee.
Bill may either be attached to the reconciliation bill or
voted on separately.

D. Fiscal Year 1996 Omnibus Reconciliation

1. June-August:  Authorizing committees markup and vote on
legislation to change programs and achieve the savings called
for in the reconciliation instructions of the budget
resolution.  Because only entitlement/mandatory programs are
included, only student aid will be affected in education.

2. August-September:  House and Senate Budget Committees each
markup and vote on a bill comprised of legislation from step
1.

3. September-October:  Votes by both House and Senate.
Conference bill written and voted on by House and Senate.
President signs/vetoes.  Because the bill is so encompassing
and contains much popular or necessary legislation, it will
be difficult to veto.

    While this schedule appears overwhelming, each of the
steps will be crucial in determining the future of  federal
education funding and programs.  For education research, the
appropriations process will likely be  the most important.
However, if a bill is brought to eliminate the Research
and/or OERI programs (as  opposed to eliminating the
funding), then efforts must be redirected accordingly.

  We need your help; we can not do it alone.  Please do not
hesitate to call, e-mail (jsroufe@gmu.edu), or  fax Mark
Schneiderman or Jerry Sroufe at AERA with questions,
comments, or suggestions.

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    Posted by Gene V Glass, Editor of AERA LISTSERV.         gene@asu.edu
     To post messages, mail them to AERA@asu.edu or reply to this post.
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