Education and the Workforce Committee
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative:
On behalf of our 3 million members and the 50 million students they serve, we urge you to VOTE NO on all 10 bills being marked up today:
- Less Bureaucracy, Better Workforce Development Act (H.R. 9607)
- Less Bureaucracy, Better K-12 Education Act (H.R. 9610)
- Less Bureaucracy, Better Higher Education Act (H.R. 9611)
- Less Bureaucracy, Better Foreign Medical Accreditation Act (H.R. 9605)
- Less Bureaucracy, Better Tribal Education Act (H.R. 9604)
- Less Bureaucracy, Better Child Care for Student Parents Act (H.R. 9606)
- Less Bureaucracy, Better International Education Oversight Act (H.R. 9603)
- Less Bureaucracy, Better Foreign Gift Transparency Act (H.R. 9602)
- Less Bureaucracy, Better Family Engagement Act (H.R. 9608)
- Less Bureaucracy, Better Student Aid Act (H.R. 9609)
Votes on this issue may be included in NEA’s report card for the 119th Congress.
These bills are meant to codify ongoing illegal actions taken by the Trump administration to dismantle the Department of Education (ED) by transferring its programs and operations to other federal agencies, including the Departments of Health and Human Services, Interior, Labor, State, and Treasury. They promise “less bureaucracy.” In reality, they will sow significant confusion and destabilize public schools across the country.
Last year, for example, Education Secretary Linda McMahon moved the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) to the Department of Labor. The change necessitated the use of two separate grant management systems, which greatly complicated the process for states and grantees. In contrast, the Department of Education previously used a single system.
Due to this change, some states did not have full access to funds until December 2025, a significant delay that resonated across states and school districts. Not all school districts—especially rural, smaller school districts—were able to absorb funding challenges and the end result was cuts to services and opportunities for students. Such problems are expected to continue.
The combination of reductions-in-force, buyouts, early retirements, and resignations has left the Department of Education with significant staff shortages and capacity issues, while the agencies to which education programs are moving lack the general knowledge and issue-area expertise necessary to administer them properly. For example, administration and oversight of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is moving to the Department of the Treasury, which has no experience helping students and their families obtain financial aid for postsecondary education, or facilitating student loan disbursement and repayment. In another example, last July the Department of Education had to distribute Title I and Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) funding because the Department of Labor lacked the capacity to do so.
Furthermore, these bills directly impact the ability of agencies to hire qualified staff. By specifically prohibiting an increase in staffing to support programs moved from the Department of Education to other federal agencies, they create a situation where failure seems inevitable—and the losers will be our nation’s students.
Congress created the Department of Education and only Congress can close it entirely. The effort to dismantle the department piece-by-piece is hurting the students who are our nation’s future leaders and workforce, while creating more bureaucracy and new hurdles for those seeking to educate our nation’s youth. As the process continues, more and more students will be denied the opportunities, resources, and support they need to succeed in school and in life.
Please VOTE NO on all 10 bills codifying the illegal transfer of Department of Education programs and operations to other federal agencies.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Johnson Trinca
Director of Government Relations
National Education Association
