January 3, 2007
Representative Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Senator Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
Representative David Obey
Chairman
House Appropriations Committee
Senator Robert C. Byrd
Chairman
Senate Appropriations Committee
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid, and Chairmen Obey and Byrd:
You recently announced your plans to complete work on the FY 2007 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill by passing a year-long continuing resolution. We applaud your stated intent to complete this process as quickly as possible and in a bipartisan manner. As you work to complete the FY 2007 bill, we urge you to reiterate your collective support from last year by providing no less then $7 billion above the President's request for these urgent national priorities.
In March of last year, a bipartisan group of 73 Senators, including every Democrat, voted for the Specter-Harkin amendment to the budget resolution to provide an additional $7 billion above the Presidents budget request for a broad range of programs and services administered by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. Likewise, several Members of the House of Representatives, including the entire incoming House Democratic leadership team and the Democratic leadership of the House Appropriations Committee have repeatedly spoken out in support of providing the additional $7 billion and against the Presidents budget for these programs. While efforts led by now-Chairman Obey and Representative DeLauro to add the necessary funding above the Presidents request failed in both the House Budget and Appropriations Committees, Section 603(b) of the House Budget Resolution does recognize the need to increase funding for the Labor-HHS-Education bill by $7 billion above the Presidents budget.
A full year continuing resolution for FY 2007 at the FY 2006 levels would leave these critical programs $2 billion short of the goal established by the full Senate when it adopted the Specter-Harkin budget amendment as well as the commitment made by the House leadership to significantly increase funding for these urgent priorities. Further, failure to meet these commitments would result in total funding for these programs $2 billion below the FY 2005 level.
Millions of American families and students rely on the vital services and assistance funded through the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. We feel strongly that the funding provided in this bill reflects an investment in the human infrastructure and the values of our nation and its future. Given the negative funding trend for these critical services and programs over the past few years, we believe there is urgent need for the new Congressional leaders to support and act on.
As the new Congress begins full consideration of the FY 2008 budget, establishing a strong baseline for health, education and other vital programs in the FY 2007 Labor-HHS-Education bill is essential to getting the nation back on track when it comes to some of the most important domestic spending priorities.
Over the past year, you have spoken out strongly about your commitment to funding health, education, and other vital programs. Now you have to the opportunity to act on that commitment. We the undersigned urge you to provide an additional $2 billion to these urgent priorities in the final FY 2007 continuing resolution above the FY 2006 levels, consistent with the Senate budget amendment and the promise made in the House budget resolution.
Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to working with you to ensure adequate resources are available to meet these urgent priorities.
Sincerely,
Academy of General Dentistry
Advocate Health Care
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Alliance for Excellent Education
Alliance for Prostate Cancer Prevention
Alpha-1 Association
Alpha-1 Foundation
Alzheimer's Association
America's Blood Centers
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Dermatology Association
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
American Academy of Neurology
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Association for Cancer Research
American Association for Dental Research
American Association for Health Education
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
American Association of People with Disabilities
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
American Association of Occupational Health Nurses
American Association of School Administrators
American Association on Health and Disability
American Brain Coalition
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American College of Clinical Pharmacy
American College of Nurse Practitioners
American College of Physicians
American College of Surgeons
American Council on Education
American Counseling Association
American Dental Education Association
American Dental Association
American Educational Research Association
American Foundation for the Blind
American Heart Association
American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
American Liver Foundation
American Lung Association
American Medical Student Association
American Music Therapy Association
American Nephrology Nurses Association
American Network of Community Options and Resources
American Nurses Association
American Occupational Therapy Association
American Physical Therapy Association
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association
American School Health Association
American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
American Society for Therapeutic Radiology & Oncology
American Society for Thoracic Surgery
American Society of Hematology
American Society of Pediatric Nephrology
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
American Thoracic Society
American Tinnitus Association
Amputee Coalition of America
APSE: The Network on Employment
Arthritis Foundation
ASD Healthcare
Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries
Association for Career and Technical Education
Association for Clinical Research Training
Association for Patient Oriented Research
Association for Psychological Science
Association of American Universities
Association of American Cancer Institutes
Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs
Association of Community College Trustees
Association of Departments of Family Medicine
Association of Educational Service Agencies
Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
Association of Minority Health Professions Schools
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Association of Public Television Stations
Association of School Business Officials International
Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions
Association of Schools of Public Health
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Autism Society of America
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Boys Town National Research Hospital
C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition
California Department of Education
CA School Employees Association
Campaign for Public Health
Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Chicago Public Schools
Child Neurology Society
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Christopher Reeve Foundation
Coalition for Health Services Research
College Misericordia
Committee for Education Funding
Community Transportation Association of America
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Cooleys Anemia Foundation
Council for Exceptional Children
Council for Opportunity in Education
Council of Accredited Master of Public Health Programs
Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Digestive Disease National Coalition
Directors of Health Promotion and Education
Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
Easter Seals
Epilepsy Foundation
ESA, Inc.
FED ED
Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
Friends of Cancer Research
GLSEN -- the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
Goodwill Industries International, Inc.
Heart Rhythm Society
Helen Keller National Center
Hepatitis Foundation International
Home Care Technology Association of America
Huntingtons Disease Society of America
Hydrocephalus Association
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association
IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association
Intercultural Cancer Council Caucus
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
International Myeloma Foundation
International Reading Association
Jefffrey Modell Foundation
Kidney Cancer Association
Lance Armstrong Foundation
Learning Disabilities Association of America
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Lupus Foundation of America, Inc
Matria Healthcare, Inc.
Medical Library Association
Meharry Medical College
Malecare Prostate Cancer Support
Mental Health America
Morehouse School of Medicine
Men's Health Network
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Alopecia Areata Foundation
National Area Health Education Centers Organization
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
National Association of Community Health Centers
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors
National Association of Federally Impacted Schools
National Association of Graduate-Professional Students
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
National Association of Medical Minority Educators, Inc.
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Association of Social Workers
National Council of State Boards of Nursing
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
National Association of State Head Injury Administrators
National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc.
National Coalition for Cancer Research (NCCR)
National Coalition for Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases
National Coalition on Deaf-Blindness
National Community Action Foundation
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
National Council for Community and Education Partnerships
National Council for Diversity in the Health Professions
National Council of La Raza
National Disability Rights Network
National Down Syndrome Congress
National Down Syndrome Society
National Eczema Association
National Education Association
National Education Knowledge Industry Association
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Kidney Foundation
National Marfan Foundation
National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Prostate Cancer Coalition
National Psoriasis Foundation
National Recreation and Park Association
National Rehabilitation Association
National Respite Coalition
National Rural Education Advocacy Coalition
National Rural Health Association
National Rural Housing Coalition
National School Employees Association
National Sleep Foundation
National Spinal Cord Injury Association
National YouthBuild Coalition
NephCure Foundation
Neuropathy Association
Neuropathy Research Foundation
NISH
North American Primary Care Research Group
NTM Information and Research, Inc.
Oncology Nursing Society
OraSure Technologies, Inc.
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Paralyzed Veterans of America
Patient Services, Inc.
PE4life
Points of Light Foundation
Pre-K Now
Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Prevent Blindness America
Reading Recovery Council of North America
Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America
Renal Physicians Association
Research!America
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
Rural Community Assistance Partnership
SADS Foundation
School Social Work Association of America
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Society for Public Health Education
Society of General Internal Medicine
Society of Gynecologic Oncologists
Society for Investigative Dermatology
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Spina Bifida Association of America
St. George's University School of Medicine
Student Aid Alliance
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
TeenScreen
The Advocacy Institute
The Arc of the U.S.
The McGraw-Hill Companies
The Paget Foundation
Tourette Syndrome Association
Trust for Americas Health
Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance
United Cerebral Palsy
United Spinal Association
Us TOO International
USA Works!
Voices for National Service
YouthBuild Coalition
YMCA of the USA