On May 1, as part of a national day of action, NEA leaders and Board members gathered near the White House. They called for dignity, justice, and public investment in our lives—not in billionaires’ profit margins.

Also last week, NEA Board members met with members of Congress and their staffs to discuss legislation, especially the reconciliation bill—the GOP’s vehicle for providing more tax breaks for billionaires, paid for by everyone else.

They urged members of Congress to oppose gutting Medicaid, slashing SNAP, and a $100 million voucher scheme while maintaining support for K-12 education programs, children’s health care, and the nutrition safety net, including school lunches. Board members also pushed for renewal of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program.

Meanwhile, several House GOP committees marked up—and then voted to include in the reconciliation bill—provisions to slash student aid for higher education, ramp up immigration enforcement, and impose steep fees that turn legal immigration into a luxury only the wealthy can afford.

Other parts of the reconciliation bill are in flux. Within the GOP caucus, fissures are apparent around Medicaid, SNAP, and the tax cuts themselves—three committees that oversee these areas have postponed action for at least a week, at the direction of GOP leadership. Keep speaking out as pressure builds!

Lastly, on May 2, President Trump unveiled a broad outline of his FY2026 budget that “streamlines” and slashes federal education funding by 15%, or $12 billion. Twenty-five existing programs would be replaced by two “simplified” block grants—one for IDEA, the other for everything else—that states could use however they chose.

Under block grant funding, 7.5 million students with disabilities—15% of the student population—would lose important rights, protections, and services. States would face big budget holes that can be closed only by cutting services or raising taxes.

Tell Congress what you think!

In solidarity,