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HIGHLIGHTS
- Skilled Workers Shortage in
Manufacturing – Briefing
- Distributed Energy –
Briefing
- LIHEAP – Senate Action,
House Letter and Legislation
- Environmental Management
Program – Letter
- Energy Efficiency Funding
– Letter
- Tolls on the St. Lawrence Seaway – Letter
- Smart Growth Awards –
Applications Available
Skilled Worker
Shortage in Manufacturing – Briefing
The Manufacturing Task Force on
Tuesday, March 7, is hosting a briefing on solving the skilled worker
shortage in manufacturing. The session will discuss a survey –
completed by the National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing
Institute/Center for Workforce Success and Deloitte Consulting – that
examine how manufacturers plan their human capital strategies and the
barriers they encounter in the process. The March 7 session will run
from 1:30 pm until 2:30 pm in 2253 Rayburn House Office Building. Refreshments will be available.
Contact: Lisa Mark with
the Manufacturing Task Force (202/226-5181).
Distributed
Energy – Briefing
Reps. Lee Terry (R-NE) and Mike
Doyle (D-PA), co-chairs the of the Distributed Energy Caucus, on Thursday,
March 9, are hosting a breakfast briefing on the current state of
development of distributed energy resources and the role of the federal
government in accelerating their integration into the nation’s energy
system. Distributed energy generation represents a suite of
technologies that share the common characteristic of creating electric
energy where it is also consumed; this not only provides downstream support
and relief for our over-stressed power grid, but also offers higher power
quality and reliability. The March 9 briefing will begin at 8:30 am in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building.
Contact: Lisa Mark
with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition (202/226-5181).
LIHEAP –
Senate Action, House Letter and Legislation
The Senate last Thursday began consideration of S. 2320,
a bill introduced by Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) that seeks to take the $1
billion in fiscal 2007 funds provided for LIHEAP in the recently-enacted
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Budget Reconciliation) and make them
available in fiscal 2006. The distribution of funds under the Snowe
bill would remain the same -- $250 million to the state block grant formula
and $750 million for the contingency emergency fund. The Snowe legislation
also prohibits use of the additional funds for LIHEAP’s
administrative costs.
A budget point of order was raised on the Snowe bill,
asserting that it violated the Budget Act. That point of order was
defeated 66-31. Following that vote, Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and John
Ensign (R-NV) offered a first degree amendment to the Snowe bill that would
direct the entire $1 billion to the state block grant formula, leaving
nothing for the contingency emergency fund. A vote on cloture will
occur Tuesday, March 7. Any further 1st-degree amendments
offered to the Snowe bill must be filed by 2:00 PM,
Monday, March 6. Contact: Ari Strauss with the
Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition (202/224-0606).
In the House, Reps. Steven
LaTourette (R-OH) and Marty Meehan (D-MA), co-chairs of the
Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, are seeking co-sponsors on
legislation (H.R. 4793) that would make $1 billion available immediately
for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) under the
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. As the Deficit Reduction Act was
written, this money is not available until fiscal 2007. This funding,
which is entirely offset in the budget, will help states provide additional
assistance to the nation’s working families at a time when energy
prices are soaring. This bill is a companion to legislation recently
introduced in the Senate by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Contact:
Lisa Mark with the
Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition (202/225-5731).
Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Rob
Simmons (R-CT), Marty Meehan (D-MA), and Steven LaTourette (R-OH) are
seeking signatures on a letter that asks appropriators to provide full
funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Contacts: Steve Boms with
Rep. Ackerman (202/225-2601) or Shauna
Hewes with Rep. Simmons (202/225-2076).
Environmental Management Program
– Letter
The Upper Mississippi Congressional Task Force is
circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter supporting the
administration’s request to fund the Environmental Management Program
(EMP) at $26.8 million. The EMP supports habitat restoration projects
that mitigate damage to the environment caused by the construction of
navigation and flood control projects on the Upper
Mississippi River. The letter also requests
restoration of $10 million for the continued operations and maintenance of
basin-wide navigation and flood control projects on the lock and dam
system. Contacts: Mark
Lange with Rep. Kind (202/225-5506) or Eric Keber with Rep. Gutknecht
(202/225-2472).
Energy Efficiency Funding –
Letter
Reps. Michael Castle (R-DE), Mark Udall (D-CO), Sherwood
Boehlert (R-NY), and Bart Stupak (D-MI) are seeking signatures on a letter
that supports critical energy efficiency programs within the Department of
Energy. The DOE initiatives that are endangered by reduced funding
include: Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), State Energy
Program (SEP), energy efficiency deployment programs, Industrial Technologies
Program, Equipment Standards and Analysis Program, Federal Energy
Management Program, and Distributed Energy Program. Also supported is
the Energy Information Administration (EIA), which provides unbiased data
that helps the U.S. respond
effectively to changes and fluctuations in the energy markets. These
programs reduce energy consumption, dependence on foreign oil, harmful
pollution, and energy costs.
The letter’s signature deadline is March 14.
Contact: Lisa Mark
with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition (202/226-5181).
Tolls on the St. Lawrence
Seaway – Letter
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) is circulating a
letter to the Budget Committee that opposes the creation of a toll on users
of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The new
toll was proposed for the second year in a row in the
administration’s budget. The letter’s signature deadline
is Monday, March 6. Contact: Noushin Jahanian
with Sen. Stabenow (202/224-4822).
Smart Growth Awards –
Applications Available
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
seeking applications for the fifth annual National Award for Smart Growth
Achievement. This competition is open to local or state governments and other
public sector entities that have used the principles of smart
growth to create better places and improve the environment.
Applications are due on 1 May 2006. An application packet is
available at www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm.
Calendar | Media Links | Reports/Periodicals
Northeast-Midwest
Institute
218 D St, SE
Washington DC 20003
Ph. 202 544 5200
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