Edujobs Bill Still Up in the Air
Despite support from big-name congressional Democrats, the administration, and the very energetic lobbying efforts of a number of education groups, the edujobs bill still has not made it to legislative prime-time.
Conservative and moderate Democrats, as well as Republicans, are questioning the impact of the legislation's $23 billion price tag on the federal deficit. And the measure may, for now, be in (indirect) competition with another bill also aimed at steadying faltering state finances, a $24 billion measure offering Medicaid aid to states.
That money is nearly as important to education as the edujobs bill, some advocates tell me, because some 30 states have included it in their budgets for fiscal year 2011. If it doesn't get approved, they'll have to go back and make cuts...quite possibly to education. The Senate failed to approve a $120 billion measure that included the Medicaid aid last week.
Much of the opposition to the edujobs measure comes from the lack of an "offset." There have been concerns that Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wis., the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, may cut the cost of the bill to as little as $10 billion. And he may be looking to offset at least part of the cost by shifting unspent money
Conservative and moderate Democrats, as well as Republicans, are questioning the impact of the legislation's $23 billion price tag on the federal deficit. And the measure may, for now, be in (indirect) competition with another bill also aimed at steadying faltering state finances, a $24 billion measure offering Medicaid aid to states.
That money is nearly as important to education as the edujobs bill, some advocates tell me, because some 30 states have included it in their budgets for fiscal year 2011. If it doesn't get approved, they'll have to go back and make cuts...quite possibly to education. The Senate failed to approve a $120 billion measure that included the Medicaid aid last week.
Much of the opposition to the edujobs measure comes from the lack of an "offset." There have been concerns that Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wis., the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, may cut the cost of the bill to as little as $10 billion. And he may be looking to offset at least part of the cost by shifting unspent money