House Republican Funding Bill Kicks Teachers Out of Classrooms, Takes Away Job Opportunities, and Harms Women and Children

In the midst of a teacher shortage, Republicans are kicking more than 220,000 teachers from classrooms.

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Republicans today released the draft fiscal year 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The legislation is an assault on education and job training, decimates research funding, and abandons ongoing public health crises.

For 2024, the bill provides $163.0 billion, a cut of $63.8 billion – 28 percent – below 2023. This year’s Republican allocation was the lowest for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill since 2008. The legislation:

• Decimates support for children in K-12 elementary schools and early childhood education.
• Abandons college students and low-income workers trying to improve their lives through higher education or job training.
• Stifles lifesaving biomedical innovation by cutting funding for cancer research, mental health research, and neurological research, and by slashing funding for advanced research projects intended to develop new cures and therapies.
• Surrenders to ongoing public health crises in mental health, opioid use, HIV/AIDS, and health disparities.
• Harms women’s health by cutting programs that support maternal and child health, eliminating programs that provide access to health services and contraception, and adding numerous partisan and poison pill riders related to abortion and reproductive health.

“When 161 House Republicans voted earlier this year to eliminate all K-12 funding at the Department of Education, I was horrified, but that was just the beginning. Now, in the midst of a teacher shortage, they have introduced a bill that would kick 220,000 teachers from classrooms. We are witnessing a widespread attack on public education that should horrify all of us” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “Regardless of age or stage in life, this bill means you cannot count on government for any help.  It limits women’s access to abortion while stripping maternal health services and making diapers more expensive. It decimates access to preschool, education, and job training. People can only hope they do not get cancer or need mental health services—you will not find support from House Republicans. These awful cuts will make it very hard for people and should not even be considered by this committee.”

Key provisions included in the draft fiscal year 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill are below. The text of the draft bill is here. The subcommittee markup will be webcast live and linked on the House Committee on Appropriations website.

The 2024 funding bill:

Department of Education (ED) – The bill includes a total of $57.1 billion in discretionary appropriations for ED, a cut of $22.5 billion – 28 percent – below the FY 2023 enacted level. Of this amount:

• The bill includes $3.7 billion for Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies, a cut of $14.7 billion below the FY 2023 enacted level. This cut could force a nationwide reduction of 220,000 teachers from classrooms serving low-income students.
• The bill eliminates funding for English Language Acquisition, a cut of $890 million that would remove vital academic support for 5 million English learners nationwide.
• The bill eliminates funding for Title II-A (Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants), a cut of $2.2 billion below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for Promise Neighborhoods, a cut of $91 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) grants within the Education Innovation and Research program, a cut of $87 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for Magnet Schools, a cut of $139 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $100 million for Full-Service Community Schools, a cut of $50 million below the enacted level.
• The bill fails to provide an increase for the maximum Pell Grant award for the first time since 2012.
• The bill eliminates funding for Federal Work Study, a cut of $1.2 billion that would eliminate work-based assistance to 660,000 students nationwide
• The bill eliminates funding for Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, a cut of $910 million that would eliminate need-based financial aid for 1.7 million students nationwide
• The bill includes $1.8 billion for Student Aid Administration, a cut of $265 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for Teacher Quality Partnerships, a cut of $70 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for Child Care Access Means Parents in School, a cut of $75 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for Hawkins Centers of Excellence, a cut of $15 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for HBCU, TCU, and MSI Research and Development Infrastructure Grants, a cut of $50 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $105 million for the Office for Civil Rights, a cut of $35 million below the enacted level.

Department of Labor (DOL) – The bill includes a total of $9.1 billion in discretionary appropriations for DOL, a cut of $4.7 billion – 34 percent – below the FY 2023 enacted level.  Of this amount:

• The bill eliminates funding for WIOA Adult Job Training state grants, a cut of $886 million that would eliminate job training and employment services for 300,000 adults who face barriers to employment.
• The bill eliminates funding for WIOA Youth Job Training state grants, a cut of $948 million that would eliminate job training and employment services for 128,000 youth who face barriers to employment.
• The bill eliminates funding for Job Corps, a cut of $1.8 billion that would eliminate job training and employment services for 50,000 youth who face barriers to employment.
• The bill eliminates funding for the Senior Community Service Employment Program, a cut of $405 million that would eliminate community service positions for more than 40,000 low-wage seniors.
• The bill includes $1.4 billion for the Worker Protection Agencies at the Department of Labor, a cut of $313 million below the enacted level, including—
  • $153 million for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, a cut of $38 million below the enacted level
  • $185 million for the Wage and Hour Division, a cut of $75 million below the enacted level
  • $537 million for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a cut of $95 million below the enacted level
• The bill includes $98 million for the Office of the Solicitor, a cut of $33 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), a cut of $116 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for the Women’s Bureau, a cut of $23 million below the enacted level (including elimination of the Women in Apprenticeship & Nontraditional Occupations program).
   

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – The bill includes a total of $103.7 billion for HHS, a cut of $17.4 billion – 14 percent – below the FY 2023 enacted level. Of this amount:

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) – The bill includes a total of $44.6 billion for NIH, a cut of $2.8 billion below enacted level, including:
  • $7.1 billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a cut of $216 million below the enacted level
  • $2.7 billion for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a cut of $139 million below the enacted level
  • $2.2 billion for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a cut of $139 million below the enacted level
  • $5.1 billion for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a cut of $1.5 billion below the enacted level
• Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) – The bill includes $500 million for ARPA-H, a cut of $1 billion below the enacted level.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – The bill includes a total of $7.6 billion for CDC, a cut of 1.6 billion below the enacted level.
  • The bill eliminates funding for Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research, a cut of $12.5 million below the enacted level
  • The bill eliminates funding for Tobacco Prevention and Control, a cut of $247 million below the enacted level
  • The bill eliminates funding for the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, a cut of $220 million below the enacted level
  • The bill includes $100 million for Public Health Infrastructure and Capacity, a cut of $250 million below the enacted level
  • The bill includes $75 million for Public Health Data Modernization, a cut of $100 million below the enacted level
  • The bill includes $371 million for Global Health, a cut of $322 million below the enacted level
  • The bill eliminates funding for the Climate and Health program, a cut of $10 million below the enacted level
  • The bill eliminates funding for the Center for Forecasting and Analytics, a cut of $50 million below the enacted level
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – The bill funds SAMHSA at $7.1 billion, a cut of $234 million below the enacted level.
   
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – The bill includes $7.3 billion for HRSA, a cut of more than $700 million below the enacted level. (The comparison does not include Community Project Funding included in the FY 2023 enacted bill.)
  • The bill eliminates funding for Title X Family Planning, a cut of $286 million below the enacted level
  • The bill includes $781 million for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, a cut of $35 million below the enacted level
  • The bill eliminates funding for Healthy Start, a cut of $145 million below the enacted level
  • The bill eliminates funding for the Ending HIV Epidemic initiative, a cut of $220 million below the enacted level
  • The bill eliminates funding for multiple programs to support diversity in the healthcare workforce, including—
    • Health Careers Opportunity Program ($16 million)
    • Centers of Excellence ($28 million)
    • Nursing Workforce Diversity ($24 million)
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) – The bill eliminates funding for AHRQ, a cut of $374 million below the enacted level.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – The bill includes a total of $3.3 billion for CMS administrative expenses, a cut of $798 million below the enacted level.
• Administration for Children and Families (ACF) – The bill provides $28.3 billion for ACF, a cut of $4.8 billion below the enacted level.
  • The bill includes a total of $11.2 billion for Head Start, a cut of $750 million below the enacted level. This cut would result in more than 50,000 children losing access to Head Start programs.
  • The bill eliminates funding for Preschool Development Grants, a cut of $315 million below the enacted level
  • The bill includes $457 million for refugee programs, including Transitional and Medical Services and Refugee Support Services, a cut of $414 million below the enacted level
  • The bill includes $2.25 billion for the Unaccompanied Children program, a cut of $3.3 billion below the enacted level.
• Administration for Community Living (ACL) – The bill includes $2.5 billion for ACL, a cut of $22 million below the enacted level.
• Office of the Secretary—General Departmental Management – The bill includes $344 million for GDM, a cut of $258 million below the enacted level.
  • The bill eliminates funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, a cut of $108 million below the enacted level
  • The bill includes $26 million for the Office of Minority Health, a cut of $49 million below the enacted level.
  • The bill includes $28 million for the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative, a cut of $24 million below the enacted level.
  • The bill includes $20 million for the Office on Women’s Health, a cut of $49 million below the enacted level.

Related Agencies –

• The bill eliminates funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a cut of $595 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $661 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service, a cut of $652 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $200 million for the National Labor Relations Board, a cut of $99 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $13.8 billion for the Social Security Administration, a cut of $183 million below the enacted level.

Policy Riders –

• The bill includes multiple policy riders to block the Department of Labor from implementing regulatory changes that would improve working conditions for workers in various industries.
• The bill includes a prohibition on funding to conduct or support research using fetal tissue.
• The bill includes a prohibition on funding for Planned Parenthood health centers.
• The bill includes multiple policy riders to block access to abortion services or reproductive healthcare services.
• The bill includes multiple policy riders to block the Biden Administration’s policies to ensure nondiscrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
• The bill includes a rider to amend the Public Health Service Act to create a right to monetary damages in a civil action for a violation of the Weldon amendment (which allows health care providers to discriminate against patients by refusing to provide, pay for, cover, or refer for abortion).
• The bill includes a rider to block the Department of Education from issuing a final rule to prevent sex discrimination and sex-based harassment at schools or a final rule to clarify how all students can participate in athletics.
• The bill includes multiple riders to block the Department of Education from implementing regulations related to student loans and income-driven repayment.
• The bill includes a rider to prevent the NLRB from implementing a rule related to Joint Employer status.
• The bill includes a rider to block funding related to Critical Race Theory.
• The bill includes multiple riders to prevent policies or programs intended to promote diversity, equity, or inclusion.
• The bill includes a rider to block funding to take action against a person who opposes marriage equality.
• The bill includes a rider to limit which flags can be flown over a federal facility.

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