Federal Advocacy

  • Senate Confirms Burwell as Secretary of Health and Human Services

    On June 5, the Senate voted 78-17 to confirm Sylvia Matthews Burwell as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Nominated by President Obama to succeed outgoing HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Burwell is…

  • Deal Struck to Modernize, Reauthorize Federal Workforce Programs

    Earlier this week, Congressional negotiators unveiled long-overdue bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would reauthorize and update federal job training programs. Known as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the measure represents…

  • ADvancing States Requests that DOL Delay the Effective Date of the Fair Labor Standards Act Final Rule

    On Tuesday, May 13, ADvancing States sent a letter to Secretary Thomas Perez of the Department of Labor (DOL) requesting a delay in the effective date of the final rule that would make changes to the…

  • ADvancing States Analyzes the Administration’s FY15 Budget Request

    On March 4, President Obama submitted his $3.9 trillion fiscal year (FY) 2015 budget request to Congress. His plan outlines the Administration’s overall fiscal policy and federal program priorities for the FY that will begin on October 1, 2014.…

  • New Sequestration Analysis

    ADvancing States recently released a document to explain the operability of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA)'s sequestration procedures in 2014 and beyond. The analysis, titled "Sequestration in 2014," answers several frequently-asked-questions…

  • OAA Reauthorization Bill Clears Key Hurdle, Next Steps Unclear

    During its October 30 Executive Session, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) unanimously advanced the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S. 1562) by voice vote and without amendment. The bill's next…

  • ADvancing States Urges the Senate to Reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act

    More than a decade overdue for reauthorization, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) was designed facilitate increased coordination among federal workforce development and related programs. It is vital that Congress modernize the nation's workforce…

  • ACL Grant Funds Remain Available During Shutdown, Draw Down TA Curtailed

    During the shutdown, previously-awarded ACL grant funds will remain available for draw down. However, due to furlough requirements, grantees' ability to contact federal agencies and departments, and to receive technical assistance, will be compromised…

  • Funding Gap Causes Temporary Federal Government Shutdown

    On October 1, legislation funding the federal government's discretionary programs expired. Due to the absence of FY14 appropriations, the federal government has initiated a shutdown of affected activities, including the furlough of certain personnel…

  • ADvancing States Endorses Bipartisan OAA Reauthorization Bill

    Introduced by Senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the HELP Subcommittee on…

Federal Advocacy

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