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!