1. NAVIGATING The Road Ahead in Washington John Colbert, Capitol hill partners
Joanne introduce John

2. Our areas of focus FY 18 Budget proposal Funding outlook for SCSEP
What can you do to help?
Laura

3. BUDGET PROCESS
Each year, the budget process begins with the President submitting a budget proposal to Congress.
Congress has the constitutional power of the purse
It creates a “budget resolution” that provides a top line blueprint for spending.
Share Slide
John 2017 and Laura 2018
Why have a CR through April?
Examine Appropriations bills to better reflect Republican priorities
FY 17 SCSEP FUNDING
House $434 million
Senate $400 million
Laura
FY2018
Leans on policy proposals from leading conservative think tanks
Vice President Pence staff in the lead
Expect a hatchet, not a scalpel
Many program eliminations
Prior think tank proposals included eliminating Job Corps, Trade Adjustment Assistance, block grant of WIOA

4. budget resolution Two Components
Mandatory Spending – Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid
Discretionary Spending – annually funded programs including SCSEP
Budget Resolution provides top line funding.
Appropriations Committee then determines specific funding levels for discretionary programs.
John
Each year, the President submits a budget to Congress.
Congress then develops a “budget resolution” that provides a top line blueprint for spending.

5. FY 17 Budget Resolution still in force.
Only one Budget Resolution can be operational at a time
Includes “reconciliation” instructions, allowing changes to mandatory programs
Must show cost savings
Only requires 50 votes to pass Senate
Used as mechanism to potentially repeal Obamacare
John

6. FY 18 BUDGET Resolution DELAYED
House FY 18 budget process beginning to move forward
Passed FY 2018 Budget Resolution through Committee yesterday
Senate budget on hold until health care debate can be resolved
Appropriators using draft spending levels to move forward on annual spending bills
Share Slide
John 2017 and Laura 2018
Why have a CR through April?
Examine Appropriations bills to better reflect Republican priorities
FY 17 SCSEP FUNDING
House $434 million
Senate $400 million
Laura
FY2018
Leans on policy proposals from leading conservative think tanks
Vice President Pence staff in the lead
Expect a hatchet, not a scalpel
Many program eliminations
Prior think tank proposals included eliminating Job Corps, Trade Adjustment Assistance, block grant of WIOA

7. FY 18 appropriations – THE real CHALLENGE FOR DOMESTIC PROGRAMMING
John
Each year, the President submits a budget to Congress.
Congress then develops a “budget resolution” that provides a top line blueprint for spending.

8. President Trump’s FY18 Budget Proposal
FY 18 budget proposes - $54 billion in cuts to domestic programs
21% cut to DOL ($2.5 billion)
16% cut to HHS ($12.6 billion)
13% cut to the Dept. of Ed ($9.3 billion).
John

9. President Trump’s FY18 Budget Proposal
Proposal would decimate ETA funding
WIOA Title I formula funding – 40% cut
SCSEP funding eliminated
John

10. FY 18 Appropriations The good news: Congress in charge of budget
“President proposes, Congress disposes”
Both the House and Senate have rejected this budget proposal.
House draft funding levels cut domestic funding $8 billion (1.5%)
Senate working off of FY 17 funding levels
Democrats have vowed to protect domestic funding
John

11. Fy 18 appropriations The good news:
Bipartisanship essential - Senate requires 60 votes to move appropriations bills to the floor
Only 52 Republicans in the Senate
At least 8 Democrats needed to support spending bills
If no bipartisan agreement – more CR’s
John

12. Fy 18 appropriations – house labor-hhs bill
Yesterday:
The FY 18 House Labor-HHS Appropriations bill passed out of Committee
Party line vote
Overall, the bill is $5 billion below FY 17 (3% cut)
Cuts ETA by $1.5 billion (18%)
John

13. House Labor-HHS appropriations
SCSEP funding reduced to $300 million (-25% cut)
Transfers program to Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Community Living (ACL)
Other aging programs housed at ACL
However, these programs are focused on social services, not SCSEP’s dual purpose
Transfer was not requested by the Administration

14. Fy 18 appropriations
Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) - House Labor- HHS bill will be low point in FY 18 spending process
Senate – FY 17 levels – likely to be $5 billion more than in the House bill
Good news - bipartisan acknowledgement that overall defense and domestic funding levels will need to be increased later this year in order to enact FY 18 appropriations bills.
John

15. SENATE Labor-HHS BILL Far behind the House process
Unlikely to “mark up” their bill before the August recess

16. CRYSTAL BALL The bottom line :
Short term Continuing Resolution (CR) expected this year – likely until December
Administration’s budget cuts have been rejected
Year end budget negotiations must be bipartisan
Wholesale cuts avoided, but SCSEP funding is vulnerable in this environment
John

17. CRYSTAL BALL Chairman Cole – two potential outcomes this year:
Bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations bill – likely with more funding for both defense and domestic programs
Year long CR
Both are good outcomes for SCSEP.
John

18. A LONG TERM FIGHT Some proposed cuts may stick in FY 18;
FY 18 budget is a reflection of the Administration’s priorities
More fights ahead – agencies already told they cannot exceed proposed budget in FY 19.
Caveat – if defeat Administration’s proposal to cut the first year, much easier to protect core priorities in future years – coalitions already in place
John

19. What can we do in this environment?

20. Educating policymakers is ok,
but not lobbying –
what’s the difference?

21. What is lobbying?
Federal funds (like SCSEP) cannot be used for lobbying.
Lobbying is defined as any attempt to influence legislation by:
Stating a position on specific legislation to legislators or
Urging your members or the general public to contact their legislators with a position on specific legislation (known as grassroots lobbying).

22. What is lobbying?
Urging your member of Congress to vote for or against, or amend, introduced legislation.
ing a “call to action” to your members urging them to contact their member of Congress in support of action on introduced legislation or pending regulations.
Preparing materials or organizing events in support of lobbying activities.

23. What are allowable activities that are NOT lobbying?
EDUCATION IS ALLOWABLE
You are allowed to educate policymakers including:
Site Visits –
Inviting a member of Congress to visit your organization is allowable
he/she may see firsthand how federal funding or a policy affects day-to-day operations, meet program participants, and see the difference it makes.

24. What are allowable activities that are NOT lobbying?
You are allowed to:
explain to your member of Congress how a federal grant your organization received has helped your constituents.
explain the effects of a policy on program participants.
If you do not discuss any specific pending or proposed legislation, it is education, not lobbying.

25. What are allowable activities that are NOT lobbying?
You can also provide nonpartisan analysis and program research.
The research can take a point of view, but it must be of sufficient depth and balance to allow readers to make their own conclusions.
The research must be made widely available – not for a select audience.

26. What are allowable activities that are NOT lobbying?
You can also respond to technical assistance requests from legislative bodies, but not individual policymakers on specific legislation

27. Bottom Line
If the “education” is done for the purpose of passing, defeating specific state or federal legislation, then it’s still lobbying and federal funds generally can’t be used.
It is allowable to inform legislators about your program – but do not cross the line by making a specific request of legislators

28. how can you help?
Educate our key policymakers in Congress during the August recess
Host a site visit to see how SCSEP is helping in your local community/state
Invite your key stakeholders, particularly folks from the business community who value SCSEP participants
Press - tell the story of how your agency’s SCSEP program is helping seniors in local newspapers, TV/radio
Laura

29. John Colbert, Esq. CHP Consulting www.caphillpartners.com
QUESTIONS
John Colbert, Esq. CHP Consulting