The Basic Education Coalition is deeply disappointed that Congress has voted to approve the Administration’s rescissions package, cutting nearly $8 billion in foreign assistance—including funds appropriated just months ago for basic education and other development and humanitarian programs.
The rescission package undermines Congressional power of the purse and rolls back programs that were actively delivering results for children around the world. U.S.-funded education programs were helping children learn to read for the first time, supporting teachers with training and tools, and building the foundations for democratic, prosperous societies. This is not waste—it is strategic investment in a safer, more stable world.
Unfortunately, with the termination of nearly all of USAID's basic education programs earlier this year, the Administration's decision to further reduce funding will only delay access to education for millions of children. Education not only gives children the skills necessary for their future, but it also helps keep them safe. The longer children remain out of school, the greater their vulnerability to child labor, trafficking, recruitment and use by armed forces or armed groups, and early and forced child marriage.
By approving this rescissions package, Congress has chosen short-term politics over long-term progress. The result is a setback not only for global education and child well-being, but for America’s leadership and security. BEC encourages Congress to hold a firmer stance against harmful rescissions packages, threats to their power of the purse, and other cuts to these critical programs going forward.