Lee Announces Increases for Education, Job Training and Violence Prevention

(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), a member of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for labor, health and education, praised the panel’s increases in funds for education, job training and violence prevention as the subcommittee finished its markup of its 2008 spending bill today.

“This bill represents an investment in our future, and I am particularly proud of our successful efforts to increase funds for programs that keep kids safe and give them real alternatives to violence,” said Lee.

The $153.7 billion Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill provides $61.7 billion for education, $4.2 billion (7.4 %) above 2007, including:

Pell Grants: $2.0 billion (14.6 %) above 2007, the largest single increase in the bill. This will raise the maximum Pell grant by $390 to $4,700, benefiting over 5.5 million students without reducing or eliminating other student financial assistance programs, as the Administration proposed.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB): $2.0 billion (8.4%) above 2007, including $1.9 billion more for Title I grants to schools, benefiting nearly 55,000 Title I schools and fully funding reading and math instruction for an additional 161,000 low-income students, and significant increases for teacher quality programs and after-school centers.

Lee, who spoke at a recent local forum on youth violence, played a lead role in increasing funding for programs for at-risk-youth and violence prevention, specifically pointing to the increases for after school centers, Safe and Drug Free School grants, drop out prevention programs, mentoring, as well as programs to help young people train for and find jobs.

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