Congress returns from the Memorial Day recess with a full agenda.
Just before the recess, the House passed H.R. 1, its version of the reconciliation bill that will harm students and working families with deep cuts in Medicaid, food aid, and diminishing access to higher education.
The Senate process for action on H.R. 1 begins this week. Changes in the House bill are expected, but their nature and scope is not yet clear. What is clear: the administration is pushing for fast action—before the July 4 recess, if possible.
On the House side, the focus is shifting to the FY2026 budget process. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has proposed cutting K-12 funding by 15% and replacing 25 existing programs with no-strings-attached block grants. Further details have not yet been revealed.
Tell Congress what you think!
In solidarity,
Kimberly Johnson Trinca
Government Relations Director
National Education Association
The bill the House GOP just passed is calling for trillions in tax cuts that heavily benefit billionaires—“paid for” with devastating cuts in education, health, and nutrition programs for students, working families, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, and more.
CHEER:Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) and Maxine Dexter (D-OR) led Dear Colleague letters urging support for school environmental health programs, including $100 million for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor and address problems revolving around air quality.
CHEER:Reps. G.T. Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), co-chairs of the bipartisan House Career and Technical Education Caucus, led a letter urging robust investment in career and technical education, signed by nearly 80 colleagues. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a similar letter in the Senate, signed by 39 colleagues.
