The Undersigned Education, Training, Disability, Public Health, Medical Research, Child

October 18, 2007

Dear Senator,

The undersigned education, training, disability, public health, medical research, child welfare organizations and labor unions representing the full range of stakeholders in the programs of the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Labor, urge you to vote in favor of the FY 2008 Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations bill that increases overall funding above the FY 2007 level for these critically important programs.

The programs and services administered by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor serve a broad range of constituencies and needs. They all share a common, fundamental goal of strengthening this nation by investing in and improving the quality of life of its people, especially the most vulnerable. The bill, which received broad, bipartisan support by the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Committee, provides a modest overall increase for programs in the bill, most of which have experienced significant cuts, lost purchasing power, or both over the past three years.

Unfortunately, the FY 2006 Labor, HHS and Education appropriations bill was cut by $1.6 billion. Congress worked to restore some of those cuts in the FY 2007 Joint Resolution but many programs still remain far below their FY 2005 level, and others lost all funding. The President’s misplaced priorities in his FY 2008 budget request continues or deepens cuts for most of the programs in the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations bill.America cannot sustain its global scientific and economic leadership, national security and citizens’ health without increasing these investments.

While our organizations represent a wide array of domestic priorities, we are united in our effort to increase discretionary funding substantially for health, education, labor enforcement, job training and social services programs as the appropriations process moves forward. This increased investment is essential to sustain and advance the well-being and prosperity of our nation.

To respond to this letter, please contact Julio C Abreu, President, Coalition for Health Funding: 202-675-8412 (or email at ), or Dr. Edward Kealy, Executive Director, Committee for Education Funding: 202-383-0083 (or email at ).

Respectfully,

1

8CAP, Inc.

Academy for Educational Development

Academy of General Dentistry

Academy of Radiology Research

ACCESS Inc.

ACSET Council

Action for Boston Community Development, Inc.

Action for Eastern Montana

ADVOCAP Inc.

Advocates for EMS

Aeras Global Tuberculosis Vaccine Foundation

Afterschool Alliance

AIDS Action

AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts

AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families

AIDS Institute

AIDS Leadership Foothills-area Alliance, Inc.

Akron Summit Community Action, Inc.

Alger-Marquette Community Action Board

Alliance for Aging Research

Alliance for Excellent Education

Alliance for Retired Americans

Alpha-1 Association

Alpha-1 Foundation

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

AmericanAcademy of Family Physicians

AmericanAcademy of HIV Medicine

American Academy of Nursing

AmericanAcademy of Optometry

AmericanAcademy of Pediatric Dentistry

AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics

AmericanAcademy of Physician Assistants

American Association for Cancer Research

American Association for Dental Research

American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry

American Association for Health Education

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

American Association of Anatomists

American Association of Classified School Employees

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

American Association of Colleges of Nursing

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers

American Association of Community Colleges

American Association of Immunologists

American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons

American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc.

American Association of School Administrators

American Association of StateColleges and Universities

American Association of University Women

American Brain Coalition

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

American Celiac Society

AmericanCollege of Clinical Pharmacy

AmericanCollege of Nurse Practitioners

AmericanCollege of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

AmericanCollege of Osteopathic Family Physicians

AmericanCollege of Osteopathic Internists.

AmericanCollege of Physicians

AmericanCollege of Preventive Medicine

American Council on Education

American Counseling Association

American Dance Therapy Association

American Dental Association

American Dental Education Association

American Dental Hygienists' Association

American Diabetes Association

American Educational Research Association

American Federation For Medical Research

American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations

American Federation of School Administrators

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

American Federation of Teachers

American Friends Service Committee

American Geriatrics Society

American Heart Association

American Humane Association

American Indian Higher Education Consortium

American Library Association

American Lung Association

American Medical Student Association

American Nephrology Nurses' Association

American Nurses Association

American Occupational Therapy Association

American Optometric Association

American Osteopathic Association

American Pain Foundation

American Pediatric Society

American Physiological Society

American Podiatric Medical Association

American Psychiatric Association

American Public Gas Association

American Public Health Association

AmericanSchool Health Association

American Social Health Association

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

American Society for Cell Biology

American Society for Microbiology

American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics

American Society for Reproductive Medicine

American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists

American Society of Hematology

American Society of Human Genetics

American Society of Transplantation

American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

American Sociological Association

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

American Thoracic Society

Americans for Medical Progress

Amputee Coalition of America.

Anne Arundel Community Action

AnokaCounty Community Action Program

Anxiety Disorders Association of America

Arbor Education & Training Media PA

Arizona Advocacy Network

Arizona Community Action Association

Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association

Aroostook Mental HealthCenter

Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency

Arthritis Foundation

ARVAC, Inc.

Ashtabula County Community Action Agency

ASSIST Agency

Association for Career and Technical Education

Association for Clinical Research Training

Association for Prevention Teaching and Research

Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology

Association for Psychological Science

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Association for Addiction Professionals

Association of Academic Health Centers

Association of Academic Health Science Libraries

Association of American Medical Colleges

Association of American Universities

Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges

Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs

Association of California Community and Energy Efficiency

Association of Community College Trustees

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now

Association of Departments of Family Medicine

Association of Educational Publishers

Association of Educational Service Agencies

Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors

Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs

Association of Independent Research Institutes

Association of JesuitColleges and Universities

Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs

Association of MedicalSchool Pediatric Department Chairs

Association of Public Health Laboratories

Association of Public Television Stations

Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

Association of School Business Officials International

Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry

Association of Schools of Public Health

Association of University Centers on Disabilities

Association ofWomen's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses

Atlantic Human Resources, Inc

Audubon Area Community Services

Autism Society of America

AZ Hepatitis C Coalition

BazelonCenter for Mental Health Law

BCMW Community Services

Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency, Inc.

Benton Franklin Community Action Committee

BEOF Community Action Partnership

Bergen County Community Action Program, Inc.

Bi-County Community Action Programs, Inc

Big Sandy Area Community Action Program

BlairCounty Community Action

Blue Grass Community Action Partnership

BlueValley Community Action Partnership

Brain Injury Association of America

Break the Cycle

BROC-Community Action in Southwestern Vermont

BrownUniversity

BucksCountyOpportunity Council

Buffalo Council of School Administrators

Burlington County Community Action Program, Inc.

C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation

CaliforniaCountySuperintendent's Educational Services Association

California Institute of Technology

CaliforniaSchool Employees Association

California/Nevada Community Action Partnership

Camden County Council on Economic Opportunity, Inc.

Campaign for Medical Research

Campaign for Public Health

CanisiusCollege

CAP Services, Inc.

CARES Foundation, Inc.

Carolina Community Actions, Inc.

Cattaraugus Community Action, Inc.

Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency, Inc.

Celiac Sprue Association

Center for Civic Education

Center for Community Action

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Central Florida Community Action Agency, Inc.

Central Illinois Economic Development Corporation

Central KY Community Action Council

Central Missouri Community Action

Central Pennsylvania Community Action, Inc.

Central Susquehanna Opportunities, Inc

Central Texas Opportunities, Inc.

Central ValleyOpportunityCenter

Central WI Community Action Council, Inc.

ChamplainValley Office of Economic Opportunity

CharlesDrewUniversity of Medicine & Science

Check-Mate, Inc.

Child Welfare League of America

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Chron’s and Colitis Foundation of America

Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency

Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin

City of Chicago Department of Human Services

City of New York Department for the Aging

City of New York Department for Youth and Community Development

City of New York Department of Education.

City of New York Department of Small Business Services

City of New York Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs

City of New York Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence

City of Rockford Human Services Department

Clermont County CommunityServices, Inc.

Clinical Social Work Association

ClintonCounty Community Action Program

Coalition for Advancement of Health Through Behavioral and Social Sciences Research

Coalition For Health Funding

Coalition for Health Services Research

Coalition of Higher Education Assistance

Coalition on Human Needs

Coalition to Protect Research

Coastal Community Action Program

CoconinoCounty Community Services

College Assistance Migrant Program Association

ColoradoAcademy of Family Physicians

Columbia Opportunities, Inc.

ColumbiaUniversity

Combined Community Action, Inc.

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

Commission on Economic Opportunity

Committee for Education Funding

Community & Family Services, Inc.

Community Action (Hillsboro, OR)

Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico

Community Action Agency (Jackson, MI)

Community Action Agency (Salem, OR)

Community Action Agency of Butte County, Inc.

Community Action Agency of ColumbianaCounty

Community Action Agency of Delaware County, Inc.

Community Action Agency of Siouxland

Community Action Agency of Somerville

Community Action Association of Pennsylvania

Community Action Board of Santa CruzCounty

CommunityActionCenterWhitmanCounty

Community Action Coalition for South Central WI, Inc.

Community Action Commission

Community Action Commission of BelmontCounty

Community Action Commission of FayetteCounty

Community Action Commission of Santa BarbaraCounty

Community Action Committee of PikeCounty

Community Action Committee of the LehighValley

Community Action Committee of Victoria, Texas

Community Action Corporation of South Texas

Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Inc.

Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties

Community Action Council of Portage County, Inc.

Community Action Council of the Lehigh Valley, Inc.

Community Action Duluth

Community Action Human Resources Agency

Community Action Inc. of Rock and WalworthCounties

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Community Action New Mexico

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Community Action of Northeast Indiana, Inc.

Community Action of Southern Kentucky, Inc.

Community Action of the Franklin, Hampshire, and North Quabbin Regions

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Community Action Organization of SciotoCounty

Community Action Partnership (Dickinson, ND )

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Community Action Partnership (National)

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Community Action Partnership of DutchessCounty

Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph

Community Action Partnership of Mercer County, Inc.

Community Action Partnership of NatronaCounty

Community Action Partnership of OrangeCounty

Community Action Partnership of Oregon

Community Action Partnership of RiversideCounty

Community Action Partnership of San BernardinoCounty

Community Action Partnership of the Greater Dayton Area

Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County, Inc.

Community Action Program Inc. of Western Indiana

Community Action Program of LancasterCounty

Community Action Programs Belknap/Merrimack Counties Inc

Community Action Services and Food Bank (Provo, UT)

Community Action Southwest

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Community Action, Inc. (Haverhill, MA)

Community Action, Inc. (Punxsutawney, PA)

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America

Community Concepts Inc.

Community Development Program of BeaverCounty

Community Progress Council

Community Service Programs of West Alabama Inc.

Community Services Consortium

Community Services, Inc. (Corsicana, Texas)

Community Services, Inc. of Northwest Missouri

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health

Comprehensive Community Action

Connecticut Federation of School Administrators

Consolidated Agencies of Human Services (CAHS)

Consortium for School Networking.

Consortium of Social Science Associations

CornellUniversity

Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development

Cortland County Community Action Program, Inc.

Couleecap, Inc.

Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders

Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland

Council for Exceptional Children

Council for Learning Disabilities

Council for Opportunity in Education

Council of Accredited MPH Programs

Council of ChiefStateSchool Officers

Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists

Council of the Great City Schools

County of Essex Division of Community Action

Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council, Inc.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Dakota Prairie Community Action Agency, Inc.

Daniel Boone Community Action Agency, Inc.

Darkness to Light

Darlington County Community Action Agency

Decatur-Macon County Opportunities Corporation

Deep Fork Community Action, Inc.

Deep South Education and ResearchCenter

DeKalb County Community Services Department

Delaware Opportunities

Diabetes Care Coalition

Dickinson Iron Community Services Agency

Digestive Disease National Coalition

Division for early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children

Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority, Inc.

Dubois-Pike-Warrick Economic Opportunity Committee, Inc.

Dystonia Medical Research Foundation

E.C.K.A.N.

Easter Seals

Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership

Eastern Plains Community Action Agency

Eastern Shore Area Agency on Aging/Community Action Agency

East Missouri Action Agency

Economic Opportunity Commission of San Luis Obispo County, Inc.

Economic Opportunity Committee of St. Clair County, Inc

Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc.

Education Industry Association

Emergency Nurses Association

Empowering Our Communities in NM

Energy CENTS Coalition - Minnesota

Energy Outreach Colorado

EOA of WashingtonCounty

Epilepsy Foundation

Erie-Huron Counties Community Action Commission, Inc.

FAIR Foundation

FairfieldUniversity

Families USA

FamilyConnectionCenter

Fayette County Community Action Corp

FED ED

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

First Focus

First State Community Action Agency, Inc.

Florida Association for Community Action Agencies

Foothills Community Action Partnership

Foundation Fighting Blindness

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FresnoCounty Economic Opportunities Commission

Friends of Cancer Research

Fulmont Community Action Agency, Inc.

Garrett County Community Action Committee, Inc.

Gateway Community Action

Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network

General Clinical Research Centers Program Directors Association

Genetics Society of America

GeorgeMasonUniversity

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Georgia Community Action Association

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GraceChurchCommunity Center

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Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc.

Hancock Hardin Wyandot Putnam Counties Community Action Commission

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Harvest America Corporation

Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc.

Health Professions Network

Healthy Children Teen and Family Planning from Kokomo, IN

Healthy Teen Network

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HELP - New Mexico

Hepatitis Foundation International

Highland CountyCommunity Action Organization

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HIV Medicine Association

Hoboken Organization Against Poverty and Economic Stress (HOPES), Inc.

Home Safety Council

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HopeSource, Community Action Partnership

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Human Development Commission

Idaho Head Start Association

IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association

Illinois/Midwest Neurofibromatosis, Inc.

Immunization Action Coalition

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IndianaUniversity

Infectious Diseases Society of America

Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research

Inter-CountyCommunity Council

Intercultural Cancer Council Caucus

Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership

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International & American Associations for Dental Research

International Brotherhood of Teamsters

International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

International Myeloma Foundation

International Reading Association

International Society for Technology in Education

Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Iowa Community Action Association

IowaStateUniversity

Ironton-Lawrence County Area CAO, Inc.

JohnCarrollUniversity

Joint Council for Economic Opportunity of Clinton and Franklin Counties, Inc.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation