Dear Neighbor,
As students across the country head back to school, I want to take a moment to share with you the current state of education legislation on Capitol Hill.
House Republicans have proposed a funding bill that would, simply put, withhold vital resources and opportunities from Virginia’s students. The 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill slashes funding by 28 percent, or $64 billion, a clear signal of the GOP’s intent to hamstring the American public education system.
In Virginia alone, this extreme Republican bill would have devastating effects for thousands of students. Cuts to Head Start would eliminate access to early childhood education for nearly 1,000 children across the state. The bill would exacerbate the nationwide teacher shortage, removing more than 4,000 teachers from classrooms serving low-income communities. It would also eliminate federal support for crucial academic programs for more than 100,000 English language learners in Virginia.
Compounding their cruel agenda, extreme Republicans aim to eliminate the Federal Work Study program that helps more than 16,000 students in Virginia pursue a postsecondary education. This limits students’ potential earnings, impedes their success in the job market, and restricts higher education opportunities to those who can afford to take on student loans.
At the same time, Republicans want to eliminate need-based financial aid, stripping 54,000 students in Virginia of the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) they depend on to make college affordable. Republicans have made it clear that they do not want low-income communities to have access to the education and opportunities necessary to succeed in the 21st century.
The Republican war on opportunity extends beyond education. They also intend to eliminate WIOA Youth Job Training, barring 2,000 young people in Virginia from job training and employment services. This bill would also cut Adult Job Training services for 4,500 adults across the Commonwealth, making it harder to get good paying jobs.
Needless to say, I am opposed to these draconian cuts. My Democratic colleagues and I are committed to fighting these attacks on education and opportunity. We will work to preserve and expand the crucial services that allow students of all ages to learn and acquire the skills they need to succeed in the workplace.
As students and parents in Fairfax County settle into the new school year, please know that I will continue to fight to ensure all children in our community and beyond have everything they need to create the future they want and deserve.
Take care and stay safe this back-to-school season. If there is anything my office can do to be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at (703) 256-3071.