It is particularly cruel to take money away from school districts after it’s already been appropriated for the upcoming school year—but that’s what the education funding bill being pushed by House Republicans does. And that’s just one aspect of a bill that uses students as pawns to advance cruel MAGA priorities.
Rescinding money that has been included in school budgets, along with enacting extreme cuts, will trigger immediate layoffs of approximately 220,000 educators—during an unprecedented educator shortage—and draconian cuts to crucial services that students rely on.
The House majority’s extreme Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill would also:
Cut funding for the Title I program, which helps our most-vulnerable students, by 80%;
Cut funding for the English Language Learner (ELL) program and for educator professional development;
Block President Biden from enacting meaningful reforms to federal student debt programs; and
Eliminate funding intended to reduce class sizes.
Most of us believe that all students should have the opportunity for an education that inspires them and sets them up for success. Judging by this bill, the MAGA wing of the GOP does not. If their bill becomes law, educators will struggle to provide students with the support and services they need. It will take years for schools to recover, at a time when students continue to cope with fallout from the pandemic.
Derailing bad legislation is crucial, and it’s just as important to be able to vote for people who share our values. The Senate and House have just reintroduced the Freedom to Vote Act, which will broaden access to the polls and take important steps to protect the integrity of our elections. We must make sure that every vote is counted and all voices are heard.
Let Congress know where you stand today!
In solidarity,
Marc Egan
Government Relations Director
National Education Association
The U.S. House is about to vote on cuts to federal funding for public schools that would hurt students, eliminate as many as 220,000 educator jobs, and cut access to higher education.
CHEER: Democrats Amy Klobuchar (MN), Raphael Warnock (GA), and Tim Kaine (VA) in the Senate and John Sarbanes (MD), Joe Morelle (NY), and Terri Sewell (AL) in the House for reintroducing the Freedom to Vote Act (S. 1/H.R. 11).
JEER: All Republicans in the House of Representatives and Democrats Henry Cuellar (TX) and Don Davis (NC) voted in favor of a book ban amendment submitted by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) during consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the House. The ban specifically targets material about LGBTQ+ people.
