Mark Kelly, Ruben Gallego Raise Concerns About Federal Cuts to Head Start Program

Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) wrote to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., over proposed reforms to the federal Head Start program.

The Context

Head Start is a federal program that provides early education and childcare assistance for low-income families.

With the Trump Administration seeking to downsize the federal government, Secretary Kennedy recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking to cut red tape and defer to state policy where possible.

Kelly & Gallego's Concern

Sens. Kelly and Gallego wrote to Secretary Kennedy urging the preservation of federal standards concerning classroom sizes, instruction, and health screenings, citing that Arizona's Head Start and Early Head Start programs serve 16,172 children across 332 program sites.

"Head Start offers a place to learn, build relationships, and receive care during years that are important to a child's development," they wrote, adding, "These programs are an important part of Arizona communities and give families in need the support they may struggle to find or afford."

Thus, Kelly and Gallego "urge the Department to carefully review the enclosed letters and work with Arizona organizations to address their concerns before moving forward with changes to the program. Head Start is essential to thousands of Arizona families, and any changes must protect the quality of the education and services they receive."

Previous Questioning of Reforms

In August, Kelly wrote to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Lee Zeldin urging him to reverse proposed rollbacks on federal drinking water safety standards.

The standards concerned the presence of PFHxS, PFNA, PFBS, and HFPO-DA (GenX), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in drinking water, and the EPA announced a delay in enforcement until 2029, arguing that the 2024 standard did not give companies enough time to comply.

Similarly, Gallego challenged a proposed rule change within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in May, which would allow public housing authorities and eligible owners to limit the duration a household can receive rental assistance to "no less than two years" under public housing, housing choice vouchers, project-based vouchers, or project-based rental assistance programs.