Senate Budget

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'09 Budget On Senate Floor Starting March 10, 2008 -

To All Senators to Support Sanders Amendment Here is the link to the letter: http://capwiz.%20com/cek/issues/%20alert/?alertid=

The Senate is beginning debate on the FY'09 Senate Budget Resolution , March 10, 2008. Remember, later this year, Appropriations Committees can only recommend program funding levels based on the amount available in the '09 Budget. Therefore, it is critical that this Budget include necessary funds to ensure adequate funding for IDEA. We are very pleased that Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT) will be submitting an amendment to the Senate Budget Resolution to add $10 billion to IDEA as part of a $32.5 billion redirection of national priorities.

The amendment will be voted on early this week. ITCA has spoken with the Senator's staff to ask that the language in the amendment specifically mention the importance of the early childhood programs under IDEA (Part C and Preschool). Please take the time today to contact both your Senators and ask them to support Senator Sander's amendment. Note the amendment also includes important funds for Head Start and Child Care. See the fact Sheet from Senator Sander's below. You can easily go to the CEC Legislative Action Center and send a prepared letter directly from you to both your Senators by adding your name and zip code. Here is the link to the letter: http://capwiz.%20com/cek/issues/%20alert/?alertid=

This is a potential benefit to our New Mexico Family, Infant, and Toddler (FIT) Program. The FIT Program is funded through Part C of IDEA. If the federal government paid the 40% of the program that they promised to pay, we would be in better shape. Currently, the feds pay about 17% of the cost and the states pay the balance when the money is available. The New Mexico FIT Program projected a needed increase of $5.5 million for next fiscal year. We received $1 million. This is the money needed to fund the 2003 cost study. If the feds paid their 40%, the state wouldn't need to put up that much money.

FACT SHEET ON SANDERS AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET RESOLUTION

Senator Sanders will be offering an amendment to the Budget Resolution to put our nation's children ahead of millionaires and billionaires.Specifically, the Sanders amendment would restore the top income tax bracket to 39.6 percent for households earning more than $1 million per year, and use that revenue to begin to address the most urgent unmet needs of our children; job creation; and deficit reduction.According to the Joint Tax Committee, restoring the top income tax bracket for people making more than $1 million to what it was in 2000 would increase revenue by $32.5 billion over the next three years, including $10.8 billion in fiscal year 2009 alone.Instead of giving $32.5 billion in tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, my amendment would invest this money in the following areas over the next three years:

· $10 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help about seven million children with disabilities and allow states to reduce property taxes.
· $5 billion for Head Start -- a program which has been cut by over 11% compared to FY 2002. Today, less than half of all eligible children are enrolled in Head Start and only about 3 percent of all eligible children are enrolled in Early Head Start. This amendment would begin to correct this situation.
· $4 billion for the Child Care Development Block Grant. Today, only about one in seven eligible children are able to receive federal child care assistance due to a lack of funding. Already, 250,000 fewer children receive child care assistance today than they did in 2000. This amendment would begin to address this inequity.
· $3 billion for school construction. According to the most recent estimates, schools across the country have a $100 billion backlog in needed school repairs. $3 billion is a small, but important step to help school districts across this country to repair our crumbling schools and create tens of thousands of jobs for painters, carpenters, electricians, and construction workers.
· $4 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) so that low-income families with children, seniors on fixed incomes, and persons with disabilities will be able to stay warm in the winter. After adjusting for energy prices and inflation, LIHEAP has been cut by 34.5 percent or $1.3 billion compared to FY '02. This amendment would begin to reverse this trend
· $3 billion for Food Stamps so that we can begin to reduce the growing number of children and adults that are living with food insecurity; and
$3 billion to reduce the deficit.