Despite tight budget allocations and the strong political overtones of an
election year, the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee has allocated $5
million for psychology education and training - $2 million to continue the
Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Program (established in FY 2002) and an
additional $3 million to support geropsychology training. This is an enormous
"win" for psychology, and is the direct result of a coordinated
grassroots campaign conducted by the APA Education Directorate and Education
Advocacy staff, in collaboration with APA's Office on Aging, and the help of
dedicated APA members nationwide.
Senate Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), with the
support of other Senate appropriators, championed the continuation of GPE with
start-up funds for geropsychology. This marks a tremendous step forward for our
discipline, as this was the first time the Senate has provided specific funding
for psychology education and training.
The federal budget is especially unyielding this year with a weak economy,
competing demands and requests for funding, as well as an overarching focus on
homeland security needs. The GPE increase was particularly dramatic considering
that the Bush Administration FY 2003 budget request proposed eliminating or
significantly decreasing every single health profession program including
nursing. The proposed cuts were so dramatic, that even with their relatively
generous budget allocation the Senate Labor-HHS Subcommittee could not restore
overall funding to FY 2002 levels. Clearly, the FY 2003 increase to GPE is an
enormous coup for psychology.
Notwithstanding this first victory in the Senate, we have a ways to go. Since
the House and Senate are now on summer recess, we have to wait until the fall
before the House acts on its Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill. Following
the House action, both chambers will convene a conference committee to resolve
differences between the two competing FY 2003 bills. However, since the original
champions of GPE are Bill Young (R-LF), Chairman of the House Appropriations
Committee, and Ralph Regula (R-OH), Chairman of the House Labor-HHS
Subcommittee, we remain very optimistic, and will continue to work closely with
their staffs over the next few months.
As noted above, much of the credit for this big win in the Senate goes to APA
members across the country, who have provided the critically needed grassroots
support. For example, Peter Nathan, PhD, of the University of Iowa, with the
help of the APA and the Iowa Psychology Association, hosted a reception for
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chair of the Senate Labor-HHS-Education
Appropriations Subcommittee. Kristofer Hagglund, PhD, University of
Missouri-Columbia, and former Congressional Fellow, also played a key role in
garnering support for GPE. In addition, members of APA’s Committee on Aging (CONA)
and other geropsychologists participated in a Congressional briefing and met
with their Congressional delegations. Finally, members of APA grassroots
networks, including the newly established Federal Education Advocacy
Coordinators (FEDAC) network, played a vital role in getting letters sent from
psychologists across the country to their Members in support of the GPE program.
On the House side, last year (FY 2002) APA member Herbert Goldstein, PhD (of
St. Petersburg, FL), successfully launched an effort to gain the first-ever
federal funding for the GPE program, by garnering the support of Congressman
Bill Young (R-FL), Chair of the full House Appropriations Committee. In
addition, APA member Robert Devies, PhD (of Alliance, Ohio) has been
instrumental in garnering support of his delegation, in particular, Ralph Regula
(R-OH), Chair of the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
What can you do to help build on this great start to FY 2003? The most
important thing you can do to help the cause is to demonstrate STRONG grassroots
support for GPE. How? By responding immediately to our GPE Action Alert
requesting that you send letters and/or make phone calls to your Representative
urging their support of GPE in the FY 2003 appropriations bill. If you are not
already a member of our grassroots network, please visit our Web
site or contact Sheila Forsyth.
With your help, we can make it happen!