Lawmakers show support for head start in appropriations letters

Each year, Members of Congress submit letters requesting robust funding for child care and early learning programs. Historically, letters requesting funding for child care have been bipartisan and incredibly popular. This year is no different, with a record number of freshman lawmakers and first time signers showing their support for our nation’s child care programs including Head Start.

Some Highlights below:

• The Republican Head Start letter had more signers (34) than in any of the past five years. 34% of them were first time signers. 
• The Democratic Head Start letter also had unprecedented levels of support (185 overall) with 35 new signers, 18 of whom were freshman lawmakers.

FY26 Republican Led Head Start and Early Head Start Letter

• Led by Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN)
• 35 signatures 
• Ask: Continue funding Head Start at the strongest level the Subcommittee deems possible.
• Signed by: Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Troy Baumgartner (R-ND), Cliff Bentz (R-OR), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), Mike Bost (R-IL), Mike Carey (R-OH), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Chris Ezell (R-MS), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-MS), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Carol Miller (R-WV), Max Miller (R-OH), James Moylan (R-IL), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Amata Radewagen (R-AS), Austin Scott (R-GA), Derek Schmidt (R-KS), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), GT Thompson (R-PA), and Mike Turner (R-OH)

FY26 Democrat Led Head Start and Early Head Start Letter

• Led by Representative Jahana Hayes (D-CT)
• 188 signatures
• Ask: Provide $14.91 billion for Head Start in FY2026.
• Signed by: Reps. Alma Adams (D-NC), Gabe Amo (D-RI), Yassami Ansari (D-CA), Jake Auchinloss (D-MA), Becca Balint (D-VT), Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Ami Bera (D-CA), Donald Beyer (D-VA), Sanford D. Bishop (D-GA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Shontel Brown (D-OH), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Janelle Bynum (D-OR), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Troy Carter (D-LA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Greg Casar (D-TX), Sean Casten (D-IL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Gilbert Cisneros (D-CA), Yvette Clark (D-NY), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Herb Conaway (D-NJ), Gerald Connolly (D-VA), J. Luis Correa (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Angie Craig (D-MN), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Jason Crow (D-CO), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Danny Davis (D-IL), Donald G. Davis (D-NC), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Cleo Fields (D-LA), Shomari Figures (D-MD), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Bill Foster (D-IL), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Laura Friedman (D-CA) Alejandro Frost (D-CO), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL), Robert Garcia (D-CA), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Laura Gillen (D-NY), Jared Golden (D-ME), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Adam Gray (D-CA), Al Green (D-TX), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Pablo Hernandez (D-CA), James Himes (D-CT), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Val Hoyle (D-OR), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Julie Johnson (D-TX), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), William Keating (D-MA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Timothy Kennedy (D-NY), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Rick Larsen (D-WA), John B. Larson (D-CT), George Latimer (D-NY), Summer Lee (D-PA), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), Sam Liccardo (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), John Mannion (D-NY), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Sarah McBride (D-DE), April McClain Delaney (D-MD), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), James McGovern (D-MA), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), LaMonica McIver (D-MD), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Robert J. Menendez (D-NJ), Dave Min (D-CA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Richard Neal (D-MA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Eleanor Norton (D-DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Scott Peters (D-CA), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), Nellie Pou (D-NJ), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Emily Randall (D-WA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Josh Riley (D-NY), Luz Rivas (D-CA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Patrick Ryan (D-NY), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Linda T. Sanchez (D-CA), Mary Scanlon (D-PA), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL), Hillary J. Scholten (D-MI), Kim Schrier (D-WA), David Scott (D-GA), Terri A. Sewell (D-AL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Marylin Strickland (D-WA), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Thomas Suozzi (D-NY), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Emilia Sykes (D-OH), Mark Takano (D-CA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Lori Trahan (D-MA), Derek Tran (D-TX), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA), George Whitesides (D-DC), Nikema Williams (D-GA), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL).