The Basic Education Coalition thanks the 110 members of the House of Representatives who signed a bipartisan letter urging the Appropriations Committee to support strong funding for international basic education in Fiscal Year 2027. Led by Representatives Mike Quigley and Brian Fitzpatrick, the letter was sent on March 13, 2026, to Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart and Ranking Member Lois Frankel of the Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs. The letter asks for $970 million for the Nita M. Lowey Basic Education Fund, including $121.6 million for the Global Partnership for Education and $30.4 million for Education Cannot Wait.
This funding would build on the bipartisan support that basic education programs have received for years under the READ Act. As the letter notes, an estimated 278 million children could be out of school globally by the end of 2026, and this funding helps give them a path toward learning, stability, and opportunity.
We are grateful to every member who signed on, and we will continue working with Congress to make sure this funding moves forward in the FY 2027 bill.