[TNT Announce] UPDATE ON DEPT. OF LABOR WOMEN'S BUREAU

[Spenta Cama]

UPDATE ON DEPT. OF LABOR WOMEN'S BUREAU STATUS:

Here is the latest development on the Women's Bureau.  Regarding the Dept.
of Labor Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2002, the House passed  the
conference report maintaining level funding of the Women's Bureau at
$10,186,000 yesterday, December 19, in the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill
(HR 3061).  The Senate voted to confirm this today, December 20, just after
noon (S1536).  This means that for the Fiscal Year that began October 1, the
Women's Bureau remains at its current funding level.

Regarding the Fiscal Year 2003 budget for which elimination of the 10
regional offices has been proposed, Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, has
until tomorrow, December 21, to make a special appeal to present to the OMB
Budget Review Board to reinstate funding for all 10 regional offices.  TAKE
ACTION BY CALLING SECRETARY CHAO'S OFFICE  AT (202) 693-6000 TODAY & URGE
HER TO APPEAL THE PROPOSED BUDGET ACTION BY OMB!  LET HER OFFICE KNOW HOW
IMPORTANT THE REGIONAL WOMEN'S BUREAU OFFICES ARE TO YOUR WORK.

If Secretary Chao does not submit a special appeal by tomorrow, the current
budget will go to Congress on February 4, 2002.  This gives us another
opportunity to change the funding level and avoid the elimination of the 10
regional offices before Fiscal Year 2003 effective October 1, 2002.  This
will require contacting your members of Cogress to resolve this issue on the
Hill before October 1, 2002. 

We will keep you updated with developments as we receive them.

Thank you for your efforts.


Spenta R. Cama
Staff Attorney, NAPIL Equal Justice Fellow
NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund
395 Hudson Street, 5th Floor
New York, New York  10014
(212) 925-6635, x7540
(212) 226-1066 (fax)
www.nowldef.org
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