NEA blasts House Republicans for draconian cuts to public education

WASHINGTON — Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has scheduled a vote for this week on the G.O.P. Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill that would make extreme cuts to federal education programs, including drastic reductions to aid for low-income schools.

The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:  

“All students — no matter what they look like, where they’re from, or where they live — deserve access to a safe, just, and equitable education. The House G.O.P. bill is the most extreme education funding bill we have ever seen, with needlessly cruel cuts. Republicans in the House seek to eliminate as many as 224,000 education jobs, send class sizes skyrocketing and make it far more difficult to provide students with the individual support they need.

“This bill is a slap in the face to students, parents, grandparents, and educators and just another sad example of how extreme and out of step House Republicans have become with everyday Americans. Title I funding has bridged the gaps in our systems for generations, especially in our public schools. The extreme House G.O.P. proposal would slash programs for our most vulnerable students by 80%, eliminate the opportunity for more than 50,000 preschool children to participate in Head Start, and eliminate funding for English learners. There is a reason this bill did not even come to a vote in the Appropriations Committee. If it does get a vote on the House floor, anyone who claims to support public education, students or educators should vote NO. The House G.O.P.’s bill is the antithesis of what our students need.”

Follow on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @BeckyPringle and @NEAToday

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers. Learn more at www.nea.org.