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Policy Alerts
August, 2005
Last
Updated:
08/25/2005
MEMORANDUM
To: SPOC Network
From: Art Ellison, Policy Co-Chair ,
NCSDAE
Date: August 11, 2005
RE:
Senator
Snowe Even Start Dear Colleague Letter
We have been asked by the Even Start Program advocates to join them in this
focused effort to restore funding for that program. As you know we have been
advocating for this program since our initial efforts in early February of
this year. Some of the information below is taken from the alert to their
membership. There is a reference below to a list of targeted Senators that
they have been identified as priorities for contact. In addition to the
names on the list, we should be targeting all Democrats as well as any
Republicans who have shown some interest and/or support for adult education
funding. I will send that list in a separate message immediately after this
email is transmitted.
The House has allocated $200 million for Even Start, the Senate
Appropriations Committee bill contains $0 dollars for the program. The Dear
Colleague letter asks Senators to support level funding at the current
appropriation level of $225 million.
Here is the suggested action for our field:
1. Ask adult education staff and clients in programs associated with Even
Start to contact by fax and telephone each of the two US Senators from your
state asking them to sign the Snowe Dear Colleague Letter on Even Start.
2. .Ask the person in your state who has had the most contact with the
principal education staffer in each Washington office to contact him or her
with the request to sign the letter.
From the Even Start People:
Senator Snowe has approved the attached letter to send to the Senate
leadership seeking restoration of funds for Even Start. We've been asked to
help circulate the letter to the Senator's colleagues. Also attached is a
list of target Senators for us to contact, based on prior support or current
interest, asking that they agree to sign and then call Kristin Smith in Sen.
Snowe's office ( 202-224-5344 or kristin_smith@snowe.senate.gov
<mailto:kristin_smith@snowe.senate.gov> ) . While these targets are among
the first we should contact, please contact other Senators with whom you
have a relationship or who you think might be interested.
Secondly, please help circulate this appeal to other family literacy
advocates not listed above. We need to spread the word far and wide in
getting the maximum support if we hope to sway Senate decision-makers that
zero funding for Even Start is not acceptable.
Senator Specter is contemplating taking the Labor, HHS, Education
appropriations bill directly to Conference with the House, by-passing full
Senate consideration. In the most recent conversations with the
appropriations staff, it now seems more likely that the bill could be
considered on the Senate floor in latter part of September. The text of the
Snowe letter is not process specific because of the fluid situation. As
those of us who've been down this road before remember, the decisions will
likely be made on short order, so quick approval of the Snowe letter is
important.
Snowe Dear Colleague
Letter (Microsoft
Word Format)
Priority Contacts (Microsoft
Word Format)
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