Labor, HHS, Education

On July 31, the federal contract between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Acacia Center for Justice, the nonprofit provider of legal services to unaccompanied children in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), lapsed after the Trump administration refused to extend the agreement unless the nonprofit agreed to hand over sensitive case information about the children. House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) issued the following statement regarding the lapse in legal services funding:

Today, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) issued a statement after news broke that the Trump administration was taking yet another illegal step in their broader illegal effort to dismantle the Department of Education. The recent move removes special education and civil rights programs from the Department of Education and puts them in other agencies.

During today’s House Appropriations Committee markup of the 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies funding bill, Democrats fought against Republicans’ extreme bill that puts health coverage for millions of Americans at risk, eviscerates public education and job training, and eliminates funding for reproductive health.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, and the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee, gave remarks during the full committee markup of the fiscal year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies funding bill. Below are excerpts from her opening statement, as delivered.

House Republicans advanced their extreme 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies funding bill that is an assault on education and job training, puts health coverage for millions of Americans at risk, and abandons ongoing public health crises.

House Appropriations Committee Republicans today released the draft fiscal year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies funding bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The legislation is an assault on education and job training, puts health coverage for millions of Americans at risk, and abandons ongoing public health crises.