On May 12, ANA First Vice President Debbie Hatmaker, PhD, RN-BC, SANE-A testified before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies on the need for additional funding for nursing workforce development programs. In addition, ANA also submitted a statement for the record to the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety’s hearing on Safe Patient Handling and Lifting Standards for a Safer American Workforce.

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In early March, Reps. Lois Capps, RN (D-CA) and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) circulated a letter in the U.S. House of Representatives supporting $267.3 million in FY 2011 appropriations for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs. A bipartisan group of 93 members of the House of Representatives signed the final Capps/LoBiondo letter, which was delivered to the House Appropriations Committee on March 19.

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ANA has come out in support of the President’s (FY 2011) budget proposal, released February 1st which demonstrates his continued commitment to strengthening the nation’s nursing workforce. The $590 million included for health professions programs includes $244 million for increasing the capacity of the nurse workforce.

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In the midst of trying to pass historic healthcare reform legislation, both the House and Senate took time to vote on an omnibus package which would assure funding for government agencies to run the remainder of fiscal year 2010 (FY2010). On December 16, President Barack Obama signed the $447 billion omnibus package into law, which included nearly $500 million in funding for Title VII and Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs. This is more than 26% above the funding level in 2009. The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs received $244 million, a 42% increase ($73 million) over 2009 funding levels ($171 million).

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The House approved on September 25 a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the federal government operating at FY2009 funding levels through the end of October. The Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill has been passed by the House but is awaiting floor action in the Senate.

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