[NLA] follow-up to a proposal to "save" the NIFL

Fri Jul 19 01:00:33 EDT 2002

Christy Gullion wrote:  "It would take an act of Congress to eliminate 
NIFL."

Not necessarily.  Look at what happened to the State Literacy Resource 
Centers in 1995.  Congress didn't pass an act to remove SLRCs from the 
National Literacy Act; it simply rescinded their funding, and their doors 
closed (except in states where the state legislature stepped in to fund 
them).  Yet for years after Congress stopped funding them, SLRCs were still 
on the books as part of the National Literacy Act.

So yes, it would take an act of Congress to take NIFL off the books in the 
strictest technical sense, but it would only take cutting or eliminating 
NIFL's funding to effectively close its doors for all practical purposes.

Congress decides each year whether or not to allocate any funding to NIFL, 
and could decide not to fund NIFL for FY04, or any future year, even if it 
remains authorized by WIA.  I don't think NIFL is in any immediate danger 
but if it continues on its present course it could be in danger when a new 
President takes over.  The reason NIFL's funding level has changed almost 
every year of its history is that Congress has had to decide each year 
whether or not to fund it and, if so, how much funding to provide.  Funding 
has not been automatic by any means, so when WIA was written NIFL pushed for 
a provision to make some (about a third) of its funding tied to the state 
grants funding.  This makes it much more likely that this piece of NIFL's 
funding will continue uninterrupted but it still no absolute guarantee.

As part of the Clinton Administration, NIFL worked closely with Republicans 
in both the House and Senate; as part of the Bush Administration, it will 
only help NIFL -- and the adult learners to whom it should be ultimately 
accountable -- in the long run to do the same with Democrats.  Whenever 
there is a change in Administation the programs most closely associated with 
the previous President are often the first to go.

Alice Johnson

>From: "Gullion, Christy" <Christy.Gullion at ed.gov>
>Reply-To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
>To: "'nla at lists.literacytent.org'" <nla at lists.literacytent.org>
>Subject: RE: [NLA] follow-up to a proposal to "save" the NIFL
>Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 09:31:38 -0400
>
>Alice wrote in her message:
>
>"If NIFL gets too cozy with the Bush Administration and is associated
>closely with it, which I fear is already happening, as soon as this
>Administration is gone, the NIFL will likely be gone as well."
>
>I think it is important to remind people that NIFL is a federal government
>agency created by Congress.  While we do enjoy some independence, we are
>still a part of this current Administration just like we were part of the
>Administrations under Clinton and Bush Senior when they were in office.  It
>would take an act of Congress to eliminate NIFL.
>
>Christy Gullion
>Associate Director for Federal Policy
>National Institute for Literacy
>1775 I Street, NW, Suite 730
>Washington, DC  20006-2417
>ph. (202) 233-2033
>fax (202) 233-2050
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Alice Cain [mailto:alicejohnsoncain at hotmail.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 11:33 PM
>To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
>Subject: Re: [NLA] follow-up to a proposal to "save" the NIFL
>
>
>Two quick comments in response to Tom Sticht and Steve Bender's recent
>postings:
>
>1)  Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that the Senate will hold any
>hearings on the NIFL nominees.  If the HELP Committee chooses to approve
>them, they will probably do it by voice vote, (i.e. consensus of the
>Senators who are present) at the end of a mark-up/committee meeting on a
>piece of unrelated legislation.  If Kennedy wants to send their names to 
>the
>
>Floor for approval (which will be a rubber stamp once the HELP Committee
>approves them) the other Senators are very likely to defer to his judgment
>as chair.  This is what happened with the original NIFL nominees in 1992.
>However, if any other Senator on the HELP committee (or potentially any
>other Senator period) is concerned about the nominees and raises his/her
>reservations with Kennedy, he will take them seriously and this could cause
>a significant delay in approving them.
>
>2)  Tom -- With all due respect, I must take issue with your statement that
>Andy and I had no experience in adult literacy before coming to NIFL.  
>While
>
>Andy's academic credentials were related to children, he had extensive
>*adult* literacy policy experience -- and could not have gotten his NIFL 
>job
>
>at that time without it.  It was my experience with *adult* literacy over
>several years before I came to NIFL that caused me to want to work there in
>the first place!  In addition to working on adult literacy policy in the
>Senate, I was a Laubach tutor, a Laubach trainer, and a Board member of a
>local adult literacy program.
>
>If NIFL's new Board and Director have built their careers on children's
>literacy, I think it is somewhat naive and far too optimistic to hope that
>when the President of the United States recognizes their leadership and
>achievement in *children's* literacy by making this prestigious appointment
>that we can convince them to focus on adults instead.  If the current 
>course
>
>continues, we'll have to try, but I won't be holding my breath on this one.
>
>We have a much greater chance of success by intervening NOW.  I hope we
>won't be kicking ourselves a year from now when NIFL as we know it is gone,
>and saying we wish we had done something back when we still had a chance.
>The clock is ticking and if we don't act now, it is not likely that we will
>have the option later.  (If NIFL gets too cozy with the Bush Adminsitration
>and is associated closely with it, which I fear is already happening, as
>soon as this Administration is gone, the NIFL will likely be gone as well.)
>
>Whether we like it or not, circumstances are forcing the issue and the 
>field
>
>faces a choice.  Not choosing is a choice in and of itself.  Decide to act
>or decide not to act but make no mistake that the stakes right now are 
>high.
>
>   Once NIFL is gone, there is no way Congress is going to re-create it in
>the foreseeable future.  Perhaps some other organizations or agencies will
>pick up pieces of its work, or perhaps they will be gone too.
>
>Alice Johnson
>
>
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
>
>_______________________________________________
>NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
>http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
>LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
>http://literacytent.org

_________________________________________________________________
MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: 
http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx

_______________________________________________
NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
http://literacytent.org