[NLA] Action: Fax your Senators and Congressperson now

Mon Jan 27 10:24:35 EST 2003

Community Women's Education Project sent faxes and followed up with phone
calls last week to Senators Spector and Santorum and Representative Chaka
Fattah.

-----Original Message-----
From: nla-admin at lists.literacytent.org
[mailto:nla-admin at lists.literacytent.org]On Behalf Of David J. Rosen
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 5:06 PM
To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: [NLA] Action: Fax your Senators and Congressperson now

NLA Colleagues,

Jon Randall posted to the NLA list yesterday a critically important
message (see below.)  It's time for action right now.

Congressional decisions in the next week or so could reduce funding for
your program, or another program you care about, by 2.9% >this< year.
We have only a few days -- and our legislators need to be contacted now.
  This is one of the most serious challenges we have faced to date
(although, as Jon has warned, it won't be the last one this year.)  If
we lose 2.9% this year, it could mean we will be an easy target for even
greater cuts next year.

Think about why you joined the NLA list.  If you don't take action now,
just when >will< be the right time? If you have taken action before and
are feeling advocacy fatigue, now is not the time.  If you want to
preserve -- and eventually expand and improve -- adult literacy
services, there is no rest for the weary this year.  Advocacy work --
writing and calling legislators -- now needs to be seen as a regular
part of the work of everyone who calls herself or himself an adult
literacy advocate: practitioners, students, volunteers, researchers,
philosophers, librarians, staff development folks, all of us.  We all
count.  We're all needed.

I am preparing my faxes to my senators and Congressman now.  I hope you
are, too  Please post a message to the NLA list when you have faxed and
done your follow-up phone calls.  Don't forget to urge others in your
program to send faxes, and make follow-up phone calls, too.  (If they
want to be on the NLA honor roll, great -- but be sure you have their
permission before you e-mail me their names (and be sure to tell me
which legislators they faxed and called.)

This is another chance to put your state on the advocacy map! We've got
some big states with lots of programs and students, but not much
evidence of action:  California?  Texas? Georgia? This is your chance to
shine!

David J. Rosen
NLA List Moderator
<DJRosen at theworld.com>

  -------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 09:27:05 -0500

SUMMARY

Adult education funding levels for FY'03 may be decided in
the next two weeks. The Senate bill cuts adult education
funding by 2.9%. The House bill maintains the same level of
funding as last year. This week we must ask our
Congresspersons and Senators to urge House-Senate conferees
to preserve, if not increase adult education funding.

ACTION NEEDED

1. Fax a letter to your Congressperson and to each of your
Senators.
2. The very next day, call the offices of your
Congressperson and both Senators. Ask the education staffer
in each office if their boss will contact the Appropriations
Committee on this matter.
3. Urge others in your program to fax letters and make
follow-up phone calls too.

TIMING

We have little more than one week to stave off a cut in
adult education funding. Republicans controlling the House
and Senate seek to finish work on the omnibus appropriations
bill by the State of the Union address next Tuesday. This
deadline is quite ambitious but we can't take the chance it
will be met. We must weigh in strongly this week and next.

BACKGROUND

Before it adjourned last year, the 107th Congress did not
pass a number of appropriations bills for FY'03, the year
that began on 10/1/2002. It did pass a series of continuing
resolutions to keep the federal government running until the
new Congress passes an omnibus appropriations bill - rolling
all the FY'03 spending bills into one gigantic bill.

In the 108th Congress, which convened two weeks ago, the
House introduced a bill HR 246. It mirrors the President's
budget request somewhat and level funds adult education
state grants, national leadership activities and NIFL (no
increase over FY'02). The Senate's bill, HJ Resolution 2
provides a 2.9% cut for adult education and many other
programs. This across-the-board cut partially pays for
increases totaling $5 billion for No Child Left Behind,
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, and Pell
Grants.

Staff is working feverishly NOW to iron out the differences
between House and Senate bills. House and Senate conferees
may meet next week to conclude work on a compromise.

SAMPLE LETTER

The Honorable <Senator or Congressperson's full name>
United States Senate or U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510 or 20515

Dear Senator or Mr./Ms. <Senator or Congressperson's last
name>

I am very concerned that funding for adult education state
grants may be threatened in the soon to be concluded
negotiations for the omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal
year 2003. Urgently, please ask appropriators to protect
funding for adult education.

Adult education produces beneficial effects in many policy
areas: family support and school reform; English language
instruction and citizenship; credentialing and further
education; crime and recidivism; public health; employment;
and welfare. For example, here in <name of your community>,
<briefly describe how adult education has benefited your
community in one of the policy areas above.>

In adult education nationally, we make do with less than
$600 in federal and state funding per enrollee, as compared
to $7,500 per enrollee in K-12 and $16,000 per enrollee in
higher education. At this level, even small cuts have a
profound effect on a program like ours. Please help to
protect funding for adult education.

Sincerely,

FAX NUMBERS

To obtain the fax number for your two Senators, please check
the following web site: <http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/>

If a fax number is not listed, you will need to call their
office and indicate that you are a constituent who wants to
fax a short letter.

#   #   #

Jon Randall
Public Policy Committee Chair
National Coalition for Literacy
www.natcoalitionliteracy.org

ProLiteracy Worldwide continues to underwrite
the coordination of NCL policy efforts
www.proliteracy.org

FedStrategics, LLC
8413 Park Crest Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: (301) 588-5304   Fax: (301) 588-5353
jrandall at FedStrategics.com

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