House Republicans Try to Eliminate Public Education that Makes the American Dream Possible, Harms Women and Children

Bill Abandons Ongoing Health Crises and Eliminates Funding for Reproductive Health

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Republicans today released the draft fiscal year 2025 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, abandons ongoing public health crises, and eliminates funding for reproductive health.

For 2025, the bill provides $198.4 billion, a cut of $24.6 billion – 11 percent – below 2024. The legislation:

• Decimates support for children in K-12 elementary schools.
• 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.
• Slashes funding for the Social Security Administration’s operating budget, which would close Social Security field offices, extend wait times for retirement claims and customer service, and delay disability claims decisions.
• Abandons college students and low-income workers trying to improve their lives through higher education or job training.
• Surrenders to ongoing health crises by cutting funding for State and local health departments, eliminating funding for the Ending HIV Epidemic initiative, and defunding programs that address health disparities.

“Republicans are in the midst of a full-scale attempt to eliminate public education that makes the American Dream possible. House Republicans’ 2025Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill decimates support for children in K-12 elementary schools, threatening the future of an entire generation” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “This bill also abandons college students and hardworking Americans trying to improve their lives through higher education or job training. Even if they reach their goals and find a good job, they will find no support from House Republicans in the workplace. This bill slashes worker wage, health, and safety protections.”

“Additionally, while communities across the country struggle to tackle multiple health crises, House Republicans are cutting funding for State and local health departments and eliminating funding for programs that address health disparities like the Ending HIV Epidemic initiative,” DeLauro continued. “And finally, the bill has multiple attacks on women. House Republicans are proposing eliminating funding for Title X Family planning and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and blocking funding for access to abortion and reproductive health services. This bill is dangerous and threatens programs and services that Americans depend on at every stage of their life.”

A summary of House Republicans’ 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill is here. A fact sheet is here. The text of the bill is here. The subcommittee markup will be webcast live and linked on the House Committee on Appropriations website.

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