House Approps releases FY'12 allocations.

On May 11, the House Appropriations Committee released their proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 “302(b) allocations,” which set the overall spending levels for each of the twelve FY 2012 appropriations bills, including the bill providing funding for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (commonly referred to as the “Labor-H” bill). Overall, the committee is proposing cuts of more than $30 billion in federal discretionary spending compared to levels enacted under the recent FY 2011 continuing resolution (CR); programs under the Labor-H bill would be disproportionately impacted, as the committee would cut more than $18 billion (compared to FY 2011 enacted levels) for programs funded under that measure.

While the 302(b) allocations do not specify where the cuts must be made among various programs and agencies, it is clear that job training and education programs remain at risk for devastating cuts heading into FY 2012. House Republican leaders have indicated that spending cuts included in the original House-passed FY 2011 CR (H.R. 1), but not included in the final CR, are likely to be restored in the FY 2012 appropriations bills. H.R. 1 proposed more than $4 billion in cuts to training and education programs – including the elimination of all Program Year (PY) 2011 funding for state formula grants under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act and significant cuts to a range of other programs – and it is likely that these cuts will be back on the table for inclusion in the House FY 2012 Labor-H bill.  

In addition to releasing the 302(b) allocations, the committee also released its calendar for considering the FY 2012 appropriations bills. The House schedule would allow for markups of some bills to begin as early as May 13th, and for at least nine of the bills to be completed by Congress’ August recess. The Labor-H bill is currently scheduled for subcommittee consideration on July 26, and full committee consideration on August 2. Because of the August recess, the measure is not expected to reach the House floor prior to September 7th, with Senate markup and consideration likely to follow later that month.

Although the Senate is not expected to adopt the House funding levels, they will serve as the House starting point when the two chambers begin negotiating final FY 2012 appropriations, and there is substantial pressure from fiscal conservatives to make additional funding cuts on top of the $38 billion in cuts under the FY 2011 CR (including $1.1 billion in cuts to training and education programs). Workforce development advocates should continue to weigh in with policymakers about the importance of investments in federal workforce programs, and urge them to ask appropriators to make funding for job training and education a priority in FY 2012.