Legislative Affairs

Although FY2018 federal spending was approved by the recent omnibus bill, fiscal conservatives in Congress and the White House are considering two options to either 1) reverse this spending, or 2) limit future spending to reign in our national debt.

(FY2018 spending affects the federal dollars school districts will receive for the 2018-2019 school year, so changes in spending could affect how much districts receive.)

1) The House is working with the White House on a rescission package to revoke previously-approved spending.
The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) reports this package could propose cancelling any program spending approved from the recent FY 2018 omnibus or other legislation, including for disaster relief. Congress would have to vote to approve the entire package within 45 days or else spending will move forward as signed into law. A proposal is expected to be released by next month, and would likely include rescinding up to $50 billion from non-defense programs. Such a proposal has a decent chance of passing the House but would face stronger opposition in the Senate, however it would only need 51 votes to pass.

2) This week, the House is scheduled to vote on a constitutional amendment to require Congress to operate on a balanced federal budget, or a "Balanced Budget Amendment" (BBA).
CEF says this amendment would take effect five years after the BBA is ratified. It would require the President to propose a budget where outlays do not exceed revenues each year, and also prohibits outlays for a year that exceed that year's revenues unless 60% of the House and Senate approve the extra funding. The requirement could be waived if the country is at war, but not because of a recession or increased expenses due to unemployment insurance, Medicaid, SNAP, or other factors. CEF and ASBO International, along with 270+ other organizations opposed a BBA when the idea came up in 2016, and continue to oppose it because it would result in significant cuts to education and other discretionary programs. Chances of this amendment passing are fairly slim, but the idea could gain ground as federal spending continues to grow.

For some extra context, officials' concerns about the rising debt are growing, especially in light of a CBO report released yesterday. CBO said that our national debt has doubled in the last decade as a percentage of our nation's GDP and will approach 100% of our GDP by 2028 -- far greater than the debt the U.S. had after WWII. Please note that we will continue to monitor these items and relay any implications for education funding should Congress act on these proposals, so please stay tuned for further updates.

Although FY2018 federal spending was approved by the recent omnibus bill, fiscal conservatives in Congress and the White House are considering two options to either 1) reverse this spending, or 2) limit future spending to reign in our national debt.

(FY2018 spending affects the federal dollars school districts will receive for the 2018-2019 school year, so changes in spending could affect how much districts receive.)

1) The House is working with the White House on a rescission package to revoke previously-approved spending.
The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) reports this package could propose cancelling any program spending approved from the recent FY 2018 omnibus or other legislation, including for disaster relief. Congress would have to vote to approve the entire package within 45 days or else spending will move forward as signed into law. A proposal is expected to be released by next month, and would likely include rescinding up to $50 billion from non-defense programs. Such a proposal has a decent chance of passing the House but would face stronger opposition in the Senate, however it would only need 51 votes to pass.

2) This week, the House is scheduled to vote on a constitutional amendment to require Congress to operate on a balanced federal budget, or a "Balanced Budget Amendment" (BBA).
CEF says this amendment would take effect five years after the BBA is ratified. It would require the President to propose a budget where outlays do not exceed revenues each year, and also prohibits outlays for a year that exceed that year's revenues unless 60% of the House and Senate approve the extra funding. The requirement could be waived if the country is at war, but not because of a recession or increased expenses due to unemployment insurance, Medicaid, SNAP, or other factors. CEF and ASBO International, along with 270+ other organizations opposed a BBA when the idea came up in 2016, and continue to oppose it because it would result in significant cuts to education and other discretionary programs. Chances of this amendment passing are fairly slim, but the idea could gain ground as federal spending continues to grow.

For some extra context, officials' concerns about the rising debt are growing, especially in light of a CBO report released yesterday. CBO said that our national debt has doubled in the last decade as a percentage of our nation's GDP and will approach 100% of our GDP by 2028 -- far greater than the debt the U.S. had after WWII. Please note that we will continue to monitor these items and relay any implications for education funding should Congress act on these proposals, so please stay tuned for further updates.

ASBO International is continuing to monitor the status of federal spending for FY2018 (which affects 2018-2019 school funding), especially in light of a spending rescission package the Trump Administration is planning, which could revoke up to $60 billion from the recent omnibus bill. The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) shared with us how a rescission would work:

If the Trump Administration proposes a rescission package, Congress has 45 days to vote yes or no on the entire package. Despite significant bipartisan opposition, the Administration hopes to release its proposal "as soon as next month."

• If the package doesn't pass Congress, the Administration can't re-propose to rescind those items again.
• Once something has been proposed to be rescinded, funding for that purpose/program will be frozen and "cannot be obligated until after Congress has acted or the 45-day window expires."
  
  • If the Administration proposes to rescind FY 2018 funding that was about to be released for programs or grantees, the delay could have consequences for program operations. However Congress can avoid this by quickly voting down the rescission package. Once funding is obligated, it cannot be rescinded.

Although FY2018 federal spending was approved by the recent omnibus bill, fiscal conservatives in Congress and the White House are considering two options to either 1) reverse this spending, or 2) limit future spending to reign in our national debt.

(FY2018 spending affects the federal dollars school districts will receive for the 2018-2019 school year, so changes in spending could affect how much districts receive.)

1) The House is working with the White House on a rescission package to revoke previously-approved spending.
The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) reports this package could propose cancelling any program spending approved from the recent FY 2018 omnibus or other legislation, including for disaster relief. Congress would have to vote to approve the entire package within 45 days or else spending will move forward as signed into law. A proposal is expected to be released by next month, and would likely include rescinding up to $50 billion from non-defense programs. Such a proposal has a decent chance of passing the House but would face stronger opposition in the Senate, however it would only need 51 votes to pass.

2) This week, the House is scheduled to vote on a constitutional amendment to require Congress to operate on a balanced federal budget, or a "Balanced Budget Amendment" (BBA).
CEF says this amendment would take effect five years after the BBA is ratified. It would require the President to propose a budget where outlays do not exceed revenues each year, and also prohibits outlays for a year that exceed that year's revenues unless 60% of the House and Senate approve the extra funding. The requirement could be waived if the country is at war, but not because of a recession or increased expenses due to unemployment insurance, Medicaid, SNAP, or other factors. CEF and ASBO International, along with 270+ other organizations opposed a BBA when the idea came up in 2016, and continue to oppose it because it would result in significant cuts to education and other discretionary programs. Chances of this amendment passing are fairly slim, but the idea could gain ground as federal spending continues to grow.

For some extra context, officials' concerns about the rising debt are growing, especially in light of a CBO report released yesterday. CBO said that our national debt has doubled in the last decade as a percentage of our nation's GDP and will approach 100% of our GDP by 2028 -- far greater than the debt the U.S. had after WWII. Please note that we will continue to monitor these items and relay any implications for education funding should Congress act on these proposals, so please stay tuned for further updates.

• POLITICO reports that the Trump administration appears to be downsizing its plan to claw back FY2018 federal spending, which originally was expected to revoke as much as $60 billion.
  • Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) said that the rescissions package "wouldn't exceed $25 billion, and could possibly be less." The proposal is expected to be submitted to Congress after lawmakers return May 7 from a short recess.
    • Even with $25 billion in cutbacks, the rescissions package would be unprecedented for recent administrations.The Clinton administration was the last to propose rescissions ($128 million), and the Reagan administration requested the most in history ($43 billion in cutbacks over eight years).
      
      

• If a grant that your state, district, or school relies on is included in the package, funding may be delayed or revoked depending on the outcome, which will likely disrupt state and school budgeting processes.
  
  • For that reason, ASBO International is working with NDD United to urge Congress to quickly oppose the proposal and avoid major disruptions in federal funding to states, districts, and schools. 
  • To learn more and advocate on this issue, take action here. 

ASBO International is continuing to monitor the status of federal spending for FY2018 (which affects 2018-2019 school funding), especially in light of a spending rescission package the Trump Administration is planning, which could revoke up to $60 billion from the recent omnibus bill. The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) shared with us how a rescission would work:

If the Trump Administration proposes a rescission package, Congress has 45 days to vote yes or no on the entire package. Despite significant bipartisan opposition, the Administration hopes to release its proposal "as soon as next month."

• If the package doesn't pass Congress, the Administration can't re-propose to rescind those items again.
• Once something has been proposed to be rescinded, funding for that purpose/program will be frozen and "cannot be obligated until after Congress has acted or the 45-day window expires."
  
  • If the Administration proposes to rescind FY 2018 funding that was about to be released for programs or grantees, the delay could have consequences for program operations. However Congress can avoid this by quickly voting down the rescission package. Once funding is obligated, it cannot be rescinded.

Although FY2018 federal spending was approved by the recent omnibus bill, fiscal conservatives in Congress and the White House are considering two options to either 1) reverse this spending, or 2) limit future spending to reign in our national debt.

(FY2018 spending affects the federal dollars school districts will receive for the 2018-2019 school year, so changes in spending could affect how much districts receive.)

1) The House is working with the White House on a rescission package to revoke previously-approved spending.
The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) reports this package could propose cancelling any program spending approved from the recent FY 2018 omnibus or other legislation, including for disaster relief. Congress would have to vote to approve the entire package within 45 days or else spending will move forward as signed into law. A proposal is expected to be released by next month, and would likely include rescinding up to $50 billion from non-defense programs. Such a proposal has a decent chance of passing the House but would face stronger opposition in the Senate, however it would only need 51 votes to pass.

2) This week, the House is scheduled to vote on a constitutional amendment to require Congress to operate on a balanced federal budget, or a "Balanced Budget Amendment" (BBA).
CEF says this amendment would take effect five years after the BBA is ratified. It would require the President to propose a budget where outlays do not exceed revenues each year, and also prohibits outlays for a year that exceed that year's revenues unless 60% of the House and Senate approve the extra funding. The requirement could be waived if the country is at war, but not because of a recession or increased expenses due to unemployment insurance, Medicaid, SNAP, or other factors. CEF and ASBO International, along with 270+ other organizations opposed a BBA when the idea came up in 2016, and continue to oppose it because it would result in significant cuts to education and other discretionary programs. Chances of this amendment passing are fairly slim, but the idea could gain ground as federal spending continues to grow.

For some extra context, officials' concerns about the rising debt are growing, especially in light of a CBO report released yesterday. CBO said that our national debt has doubled in the last decade as a percentage of our nation's GDP and will approach 100% of our GDP by 2028 -- far greater than the debt the U.S. had after WWII. Please note that we will continue to monitor these items and relay any implications for education funding should Congress act on these proposals, so please stay tuned for further updates.

The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) reports the White House submitted its rescission package to Congress this morning (see attached). The proposal:

• Requests rescinding $15.4 billion from 38 programs that have unobligated funding from previous fiscal years.
  • There is no FY2018 funding from the omnibus included in this this package. Another separate rescission proposal for the omnibus is still on its way.
    
    
• Does not request rescissions for Department of Education (ED) programs, but asks to rescind funding for other L-HHS programs that affect education, including the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
  • Would rescind $5.1 billion for the Children's Health Insurance Fund and $1.9 billion for the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund.

• POLITICO reports that the Trump administration appears to be downsizing its plan to claw back FY2018 federal spending, which originally was expected to revoke as much as $60 billion.
  • Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) said that the rescissions package "wouldn't exceed $25 billion, and could possibly be less." The proposal is expected to be submitted to Congress after lawmakers return May 7 from a short recess.
    • Even with $25 billion in cutbacks, the rescissions package would be unprecedented for recent administrations.The Clinton administration was the last to propose rescissions ($128 million), and the Reagan administration requested the most in history ($43 billion in cutbacks over eight years).
      
      

• If a grant that your state, district, or school relies on is included in the package, funding may be delayed or revoked depending on the outcome, which will likely disrupt state and school budgeting processes.
  
  • For that reason, ASBO International is working with NDD United to urge Congress to quickly oppose the proposal and avoid major disruptions in federal funding to states, districts, and schools. 
  • To learn more and advocate on this issue, take action here. 

ASBO International is continuing to monitor the status of federal spending for FY2018 (which affects 2018-2019 school funding), especially in light of a spending rescission package the Trump Administration is planning, which could revoke up to $60 billion from the recent omnibus bill. The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) shared with us how a rescission would work:

If the Trump Administration proposes a rescission package, Congress has 45 days to vote yes or no on the entire package. Despite significant bipartisan opposition, the Administration hopes to release its proposal "as soon as next month."

• If the package doesn't pass Congress, the Administration can't re-propose to rescind those items again.
• Once something has been proposed to be rescinded, funding for that purpose/program will be frozen and "cannot be obligated until after Congress has acted or the 45-day window expires."
  
  • If the Administration proposes to rescind FY 2018 funding that was about to be released for programs or grantees, the delay could have consequences for program operations. However Congress can avoid this by quickly voting down the rescission package. Once funding is obligated, it cannot be rescinded.

Although FY2018 federal spending was approved by the recent omnibus bill, fiscal conservatives in Congress and the White House are considering two options to either 1) reverse this spending, or 2) limit future spending to reign in our national debt.

(FY2018 spending affects the federal dollars school districts will receive for the 2018-2019 school year, so changes in spending could affect how much districts receive.)

1) The House is working with the White House on a rescission package to revoke previously-approved spending.
The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) reports this package could propose cancelling any program spending approved from the recent FY 2018 omnibus or other legislation, including for disaster relief. Congress would have to vote to approve the entire package within 45 days or else spending will move forward as signed into law. A proposal is expected to be released by next month, and would likely include rescinding up to $50 billion from non-defense programs. Such a proposal has a decent chance of passing the House but would face stronger opposition in the Senate, however it would only need 51 votes to pass.

2) This week, the House is scheduled to vote on a constitutional amendment to require Congress to operate on a balanced federal budget, or a "Balanced Budget Amendment" (BBA).
CEF says this amendment would take effect five years after the BBA is ratified. It would require the President to propose a budget where outlays do not exceed revenues each year, and also prohibits outlays for a year that exceed that year's revenues unless 60% of the House and Senate approve the extra funding. The requirement could be waived if the country is at war, but not because of a recession or increased expenses due to unemployment insurance, Medicaid, SNAP, or other factors. CEF and ASBO International, along with 270+ other organizations opposed a BBA when the idea came up in 2016, and continue to oppose it because it would result in significant cuts to education and other discretionary programs. Chances of this amendment passing are fairly slim, but the idea could gain ground as federal spending continues to grow.

For some extra context, officials' concerns about the rising debt are growing, especially in light of a CBO report released yesterday. CBO said that our national debt has doubled in the last decade as a percentage of our nation's GDP and will approach 100% of our GDP by 2028 -- far greater than the debt the U.S. had after WWII. Please note that we will continue to monitor these items and relay any implications for education funding should Congress act on these proposals, so please stay tuned for further updates.