Unprecedented Targeted Grassroots Campaign:
GPE Program FY 2010 Appropriations Update
June 2009

This year the Education Government Relations Office (GRO) staff orchestrated the most extensive targeted grassroots campaign ever in an effort to gain increased FY 2010 funding for the GPE Program. Beginning in early January and continuing through March, APA members and/or Education GRO staff visited fifteen Members of the House Appropriations Committee or their staff and twenty Senate appropriators, and some authorizing members, as well. In late March Education GRO staff then reached out to its grassroots network to initiate a constituent phone-calling campaign  to Senators in the key states of CA, ND, NE, MD, NY, NJ, SD, PA, MS, MT and OH. Other psychologist-constituents were asked to send email to key Senate appropriators in PA, IL and WI. As a result APA members and Education GRO staff succeeded in gaining an all-time record number of commitments from Congressional appropriators who agreed to request $7 million in the FY2010 budget for the GPE Program.  House appropriations members include Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Jesse Jackson Jr (D-IL), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Dennis Rehberg (R-MT), and likely from Mike Honda (D-CA) and Barbara Lee (D-CA). We continue to have support from Senate Appropriators but it is unclear who among them asked for an increase in GPE funding.

In the meantime Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) is once again trying to get a transfer of $5 million from the VA funds for mental health of over $4.6 billion.  The $5 million transfer would not come from the VA funding for psychology training. The funds would be transferred to the GPE Program for a focus on meeting the mental health needs of Iraqi and Afghan war veterans and their families. A modest $5 million would establish a collaboration between the VA and HHS for specialized interdisciplinary training of psychologists to provide mental & behavioral health services for returning military personnel and their families. The training would especially focus on PTSD, TBI and other traumatic stress related disorders. Senator Murray added bill language to the Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009 and report language to the FY2010 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill.  Working concurrently to garner support for Senator Murray’s efforts, Education GRO staff has met with staff of the Chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Representative Bob Filner (D-CA) and its Health Subcommittee, Chair, Michael Michaud (D-ME), as well as Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee member, Representative Chet Edwards (D-TX). Education GRO staff also met with staff of Veterans Affairs Committee members Representatives, Teague, Rodriguez, and Donnelly, and with Representative Marion Berry of the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations.

See briefing sheets on FY 2010 transfer of funds for Veterans Health Care Authorization Act and Military Construction-VA appropriations bill

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