The 118th Congress is behind schedule due the drawn-out process of electing the House speaker. We still don’t have a complete list of all committee assignments.
One thing is clear, however: Big battles over raising the debt ceiling are coming—and soon. The U.S. government reached the ceiling last week and is taking “extraordinary measures” to keep paying bills already incurred. Those measures will be exhausted by June or July, says Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
Failure to raise the debt ceiling would lead to fiscal catastrophe—not just in the United States, but worldwide. Everything from education funding to children’s healthcare to Social Security could be on the chopping block.
During the Trump administration, the national debt rose by $7.8 trillion—the third biggest increase, relative to the size of the economy, of any presidential administration. Many current members of Congress voted to raise or suspend the debt ceiling three times, no strings attached.
Now, both parties are in their own corners. Democrats say they do not plan to negotiate. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is struggling to fulfill the promises—likely unrealistic—he made to secure the speakership. Far-right members of the GOP caucus are clamoring for massive cuts, especially in domestic programs.
Against this deeply dismaying background, NEA continues to set legislative priorities. Thousands of you have already responded to our request to tell us what you’d like Congress to focus on. So far, the top issues are preventing gun violence, alleviating educator stress, and repealing the Social Security offsets (GPO and WEP) that deprive educators of benefits they have earned.
There are so many issues that affect our students and public schools, so telling us your priorities will help us make sure you are engaged on the issues you care most about.
