Final Fiscal Year 2011 Continuing Resolution cuts $1 billion from workforce programs but largely preserves critical services
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your advocacy over the past few weeks. Your voices have made a difference, reducing the proposed level of cuts directed at workforce education and training from $3.8 billion to just under $1 billion.
Late Monday night, details were released on the final Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 continuing resolution (CR) negotiated by the White House and Congressional leaders late last week. The bill, which will fund the federal government through September 30, includes $38.5 billion in cuts below current funding levels and includes $13 billion in cuts to programs under the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services.
Under HR 1, the House-passed CR, the proposed $3.8 billion in workforce cuts eliminated all funding for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs in Program Year 2011.
Cuts under the new CR are far less severe, with job training programs at DOL facing just under $1 billion in cuts, including:
- WIA funding is cut by $307 million, but $125 million for a new "Workforce Innovation Fund" is included in the bill, resulting in a net reduction of $182 million in WIA formula funding;
- $125 million in FY 2010 funding for the Career Pathways Innovation Fund is rescinded (the FY 2011 funding was eliminated as part of an earlier short-term CR);
- The Green Jobs Innovation Fund is eliminated ($40 million);
- Funding for YouthBuild is cut from $102.5 million to $80 million; and
- Funding reserved in FY 2010 for Transitional Jobs is eliminated ($45 million).
The maximum Pell Grant award has been maintained at $5,550 per year and has not been cut.
Download a detailed table of all workforce funding cuts in the CR.
Despite these cuts, the bill represents an important victory.
It is thanks to your hard work and advocacy, and the hard work of advocates from across the country over the past few months, that these cuts were not deeper.
Thank you for reading these alerts--and for responding to them by calling and writing our Senators and members of Congress to speak up about the importance of job training and education.
Thank you for organizing meetings and site visits and for gathering participant and employer testimonials.
Thank you for helping policymakers see the effect of the proposed funding cuts on their constituents and on job creation efforts and economic recovery in the Commonwealth.
Now, on to FY2012...
The House and Senate will vote this week on the final FY 2011 funding bill and will quickly move on to debating next year's budget. President Obama has released his FY2012 budget proposal already, as has House Budget Committee chair Paul Ryan (R-WI).
In the months ahead it will be more important than ever that we speak up about the critical role of workforce programs in helping U.S. workers, businesses, and communities rebuild the nation's economy.
We will keep you posted as the FY 2012 budget discussion advances, and we hope you will continue to stand with us in support of our Commonwealth's -- and the nation's -- workers and industries.
