NEW Outreach Campaign... No images? Click here ![]() July 26, 2023 Leading the news this week: Congress is wrapping up their last week in session before heading out for August Recess this weekend. Federal lawmakers will be home until early September and we encourage our members to use this time to strengthen relationships with their lawmakers. It will also allow for community college leaders to share the negative impacts the House LHHS bill could have on our institutions and urge them to take action. JOBS Act HELP HearingThe Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will hold a markup on a slew of workforce bills on Thursday, July 27 at 10:00 am EST. The JOBS Act, which would make Workforce Pell a reality and is a top legislative priority for community colleges, will be included in the markup. We anticipate several amendments to be presented for the bill and believe this is a positive step towards helping move Workforce Pell forward in the 118th Congress. To watch the markup, click here. Senate LHHS Appropriations Bill MarkupThe Senate Appropriations Committee will have a full committee markup for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2024 on Thursday, July 27 at 10:30 am. The bill text has not yet been released, but we anticipate the numbers will be much more favorable to our priorities than the House bill. We will keep our membership abreast of the Senate funding levels once they are made public. To watch the full committee markup, click here. House LHHS Appropriations Call to ActionAs we previously shared, the House LHHS FY 2024 funding bill includes drastic cuts to higher education programs that are of deep concern to ACCT. Ranking Member DeLauro released state-by-state data on the impact these cuts would have across the country, which can be found here. With education programs in jeopardy and over 60 programs facing elimination, we have launched a nationwide grassroots campaign to urge lawmakers to improve the bill before it comes before the full Appropriations Committee. To contact your representative and advocate for your institution, click here. For a more in-depth read on the cuts to higher education, read our newest blog post Higher Ed Programs in Peril: A Closer Look at FY 2024 Appropriations. August Recess Outreach PrepAugust recess allows federal lawmakers to spend a substantial amount of time in their home states and districts connecting with their constitutes. This presents a window of opportunity for community college leaders to strengthen relationships with their lawmakers. It will also allow for a timely opportunity to let lawmakers know the negative impacts of the House LHHS bill as its currently written which slashes many critical federal student aid and support programs. ACCT encourages our membership to start planning for recess as soon as possible as lawmakers will soon be flooded with invitations. Use this time to think of a speaking engagement, welcome back to school event, or, tour you can invite your member to. Alternatively, you could offer your campus to them as a location for an upcoming event they may be hosting. You should also consider how your team can best use the opportunity to advocate for your institution's federal priorities. For more guidance on how to host your federal officials in your campus, click here. ![]()
Outreach EffortsIs your institution meeting or hosting an event with federal elected officials? We created a Congressional Contact Form that will help us track outreach efforts of community college leaders across our membership. By filling out the form, you are better informing ACCT's advocacy efforts and our advocacy team is able to continue those conversations with congressional staff in DC. We also put together an outreach toolkit and an advocacy guide to share best practices for meeting with elected officials and set your team up for success. ![]() ACCT NOW is the go-to resource for issues affecting community colleges. Our new website features original reporting and research, as well as of-the-moment legislative updates. ACCT NOW also includes articles, reports, and research from outside sources that benefit the ACCT community. Read the Latest Articles on ACCT NOW: Have a Question?Contact us with any questions or concerns about public policy and ACCT's advocacy on behalf of two-year colleges and two-year college trustees. ACCT's Latest Action in Washington alerts are sent to interested ACCT members to keep you up to date on important legislative activities that impact community colleges. If you no longer wish to receive ACCT's Latest Action in Washington alerts, reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. For more information about ACCT's advocacy services, visit acct.org/advocacy Spread the Word.Please encourage your fellow trustees, presidents and colleagues to stay up to date about legislation that affects their community colleges by joining the Latest Action in Washington (LAW) E-Alert network. To join, simply e-mail publicpolicy@acct.org with 'LAW Alert' in the subject of the e-mail. For more community college news from inside the beltway, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, or like us Facebook. |