Properly Fund Public Education!

As your constituent, I urge you to reject the administration’s proposal to cut the Department of Education’s budget by 15% in FY2026—on top of the $350 million in cuts to student loan programs included in the reconciliation bill recently passed by the House. The administration’s plan to consolidate critical programs into two block grants—the “K-12 Simplified Funding Program” (which merges Title I and 18 other programs) and the “Special Education Simplified Funding Program” (which combines all 7 IDEA programs)—would gut long-standing supports for vulnerable students. Eliminating vital programs like TRIO, GEAR UP, English Language Acquisition, and the Teacher Quality Partnership (which addresses teacher shortages through intensive clinical training) would be a devastating setback for educational equity. While block grants may sound flexible in theory, in practice they often lead to reduced funding, weaker oversight, and fewer legal protections for students—especially those with disabilities, English learners, and students from low-income communities. States could also divert these funds toward private school voucher schemes that undermine public education and erode students’ civil rights. Even more concerning, the only proposed increase in the FY2026 education budget is a $60 million boost for charter schools—at the expense of the public schools that serve 90% of our nation’s children. Public schools are the backbone of our democracy. Now is the time to strengthen them—not weaken them through deep funding cuts, harmful consolidations, and privatization. I strongly urge you to oppose these proposals and fight for a robust, equitable education budget that protects and invests in all students.