AFT President Randi Weingarten Responds to Budget Agreement

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten released the following statement responding to the budget agreement reached in Congress:

“Let’s be clear: This fiscal 2017 budget agreement, by investing in public education, healthcare, and programs that help working families and particularly their children, is a strong rebuke to President Trump’s scorched earth 2018 budget proposal. While elections have consequences, and this is by no means our ideal budget, Democratic leaders Schumer, Pelosi and others deserve extraordinary credit for working tirelessly to reach a final agreement that first and foremost does no harm to working people.

“This agreement has big pluses: It creates a healthier America by increasing funding to the National Institutes of Health and fighting opioid addiction; it provides aid to the people of Puerto Rico who continue to struggle through an economic crisis; and it provides mine workers the healthcare they deserve and were promised. It stands in stark contrast to Trump and DeVos’ efforts to defund public education by reaching consensus across party lines to invest in public schools, including additional funds for community schools, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, year-round Pell Grants, Head Start, and other programs that help kids and strengthen our schools and communities. Congress should follow this blueprint to invest in public schools in the 2018 budget as well.                       

“While the agreement includes no new voucher initiatives or new funding for vouchers, we are disappointed that the GOP leadership insisted on extending the DC voucher program—especially in light of new research showing that the program, in place since 2004, fails to help kids. Ironically, these champions of vouchers moved to increase investments in public education for kids in their own districts while pushing this failed strategy for those parents and kids with no voting voice in Congress.”