HR 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act), has passed the U.S. House and will now go to President Trump for his signature. The bill includes a provision that allows states to opt in to a tax-credit voucher provision, so we will need your help to keep those vouchers out of Mississippi! We will be in touch in the coming weeks with a plan to ensure that our students’ remarkable academic advancements are not compromised by what has been dubbed “welfare for the wealthy” – taxpayer-funded subsidies for children attending private schools.
Also of great concern is the report this week that the U.S. Department of Education has withheld nearly $7-billion in federal public education funding nationwide, funds that Congress had appropriated for after-school and summer programs, teacher training, and support for students who are learning to speak English. It is not yet clear how much of that $7-billion was designated for Mississippi’s public schools. These are funds that, in the past, have provided services that contributed to the terrific strides in academic achievement made by our teachers and students. Withholding those funds will make continued progress more difficult.
It is unconscionable that this administration would create a new program to send billions of federal tax dollars to private schools while withholding $7-billion in federal funds appropriated to public schools!
Please ask your U.S. congressman and our U.S. senators to insist that the U.S. Department of Education release the $7-billion in funds being withheld from our public schools. You can see below how each of them voted on HR 1, the bill that created the federal tax-credit voucher program:
Congressman Trent Kelly – Congressional District 1
Voted YES on HR 1, the bill that creates a federal tax-credit voucher program.
District Office: 662.841.8808
U.S. Capitol: 202.225.4306
Email: https://trentkelly.house.gov/contact/
Congressman Bennie Thompson – Congressional District 2
Voted NO on HR 1, the bill that creates a federal tax-credit voucher program.
District Office: 601.946.9003
U.S. Capitol: 202.225.5876
Email: https://benniethompson.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact/email
Congressman Michael Guest – Congressional District 3
Voted YES on HR 1, the bill that creates a federal tax-credit voucher program.
District Office: 601.693.6681
U.S. Capitol: 202.225.5031
Email: https://guest.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact
Congressman Mike Ezell – Congressional District 4
Voted YES on HR 1, the bill that creates a federal tax-credit voucher program.
District Office: 228.864.7670
U.S. Capitol: 202.225.5772
Email: https://ezell.house.gov/contact/
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith
Voted YES on HR 1, the bill creating a federal tax-credit voucher program.
Mississippi Offices
Brookhaven (limited hours): 601.748.8024 Gulfport: 228.867.9710 Jackson: 601.965.4459 Oxford: 662.236.1018
Washington Office
U.S. Capitol: 202.224.5054
Email: https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/contact-senator
Senator Roger Wicker
Voted YES on HR 1, the bill that creates a federal tax-credit voucher program.
Mississippi Offices
Gulfport: 228.871.7017 Hernando: 662.429.1002 Jackson: 601.965.4644 Tupelo: 662.844.5010
Washington Office
U.S. Capitol: 202.224.6253
Email: https://www.wicker.senate.gov/contact
Find additional contact information for your members of Congress
Thank you for your many calls and emails to our congressional delegation. Please reach out again to voice your dismay with a federal government that created a new program to fund unaccountable private schools with our federal tax dollars while withholding critical funding from our public schools. Share this information with other public school supporters, and ask them to reach out, as well. Our children are counting on us, and together, we’ve got this!
