1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

As your constituent, an American, an educator who supports students in various important fields, a woman, a mom with children who significantly benefit from educators and healthcare providers, and a relative of countless countless medical professionals, I am flabbergasted… The recent move to downgrade or dilute what is considered a “professional degree” for Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Social Workers, Teachers/Educators, and other advanced practitioners is unacceptable, shortsighted, and profoundly disrespectful to the essential workforce that keeps this country functioning. This change is an assault on the credibility, training, and expertise of professionals who undergo rigorous graduate education, clinical rotations, board certification, and continuous licensure requirements. I demand that you immediately push back—publicly, loudly, and without political hedging—against any policy or classification change that strips these professions of the recognition they have unequivocally earned. These are not ancillary roles. They are not “support staff.” They are primary pillars of our healthcare and social support systems, filling gaps your inaction has allowed to widen for decades. Minimizing these degrees is not just bureaucratic reclassification—it is an insult to every NP running a rural clinic, every PA stabilizing trauma patients, every social worker keeping vulnerable families safe, educators who educate and care for an enormous amount of children and young adults, and every professional who has sacrificed years of education, countless hours of unpaid clinical work, and enormous personal investment to serve the public. We are past the point of niceties. This country cannot afford to lose more healthcare workers, more mental health providers, more teachers/educators, or more social services professionals because lawmakers choose to undermine their legitimacy. I expect you to fight this—not tolerate it, not quietly negotiate around the edges, but fight it. Reverse this damaging decision and protect the professional standing of the people who show up every single day to hold our communities together.