There was a fair amount of congressional activity last week.
In a nearly party-line vote of 216-211, the House passed the NEA-opposed H.R. 6703, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act. The bill ignores the imminent expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that make health insurance affordable for over 20 million Americans. Come Jan. 1, premiums will rise significantly—more than double, on average—for coverage obtained through ACA marketplaces.
Four Republicans—Mike Lawler of New York and Brian Fitzpatrick, Rob Bresnahan, and Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania—added their signatures to a Democratic discharge petition, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to hold a vote on a clean three-year extension of the subsidies. But the vote won’t be held until the new year, after the increases take effect.
The Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, which contains several NEA-supported provisions to improve the academic environment in schools for military-connected students administered by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). Educators in DoDEA schools are represented by NEA’s affiliate, the Federal Education Association.
As this is the last email of the year, we also review the top issues and recognize the most prolific digital activists.
In 2025, NEA digital activists sent a record 1.4 million emails to Congress—nearly three times as many as the year before, which is amazing! From an advocacy standpoint, the top issues were the Trump administration’s push to dismantle the Department of Education, FY2026 education funding, Medicaid cuts, and support for students with disabilities.
Your voice makes a difference! Thank you for helping NEA advocate for students, educators, and families across America. In particular, I commend the top digital activists of the year, listed below.
Congress is in recess until the new year, and so are we.
Let’s keep the activism going in 2026!
In solidarity,
Kimberly Johnson Trinca
National Education Association
