{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://torres.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-torres-joins-democratic-womens-caucus-members-in-calling-out-hhs-secretary-for-proposed-plan-to-gut-head-start", "Congresswoman Torres Joins Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus Members in Calling Out HHS Secretary For Proposed Plan to Gut Head Start", "2026-09-21", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Norma J. Torres", "T000474", "torres.house.gov", "torres", "https://torres.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35) joined Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fern\u00e1ndez (NM-03), DWC Whip Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), DWC Senate Liaison and Caregiving Task Force Co-Chair Debbie Dingell (MI-06), and Caregiving Task Force Co-Chairs Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) & Lateefah Simon (CA-12) in sending a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) demanding HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdraw their proposed rule to gut 90% of Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) that would increase costs for families and eliminate educational resources women and families rely on. The letter was signed by 87 House Democrats.\n\nFor 60 years, Head Start has served over 40 million families and children with accessible social services, healthcare, and improved early learning standards. The program provides low-income children, children with disabilities, dual language learners, and children experiencing homelessness with the resources needed to succeed in school. Even after six decades, Head Start remains popular, with four in five Americans saying they\u2019re in support of the program evidence that Trump\u2019s efforts to gut it are out of step with what Americans want.\n\nThe proposed rule would diminish the quality of Head Start services and undermine its ability to develop evidence-based programs that improve education, health, nutrition, parental involvement, and social services forcing families to either lose these resources or turn to more expensive options elsewhere. Head Start could no longer connect families to jobs, education, and housing opportunities or effectively help children succeed in school.\n\nIn the letter, Members highlighted how the proposed rule would undermine Congressional authority and intent:\n\n\u201cThe administration claims to be removing red tape and saving money. In reality, this proposed rule would override Congressional intent by removing standards that make Head Start the program that it is today and that Congress explicitly directed HHS to create based on research and consultation with experts.\u201d\n\nThe Members also explained how the elimination of National Head Start Standards for education would be detrimental to the programs success:\n\n\u201cRigorous research has found that Head Start generates substantial long-term economic benefits, including an estimated $1.86 in benefits for every dollar invested. That return depends on strong teachers, strong ratios, and strong services\u2014qualified staff, appropriate classroom size and teacher to child ratios that support learning, developmental screening and follow-up, health and mental health services, family engagement and support services, and evidence-based early learning\u2014not a patchwork of state requirements that would create different standards throughout the country.\u201d\n\nThe Members also warned the proposed cuts would erode the safety and the quality of the program and possibly put students in danger:\n\n\u201cThe proposed rule would eliminate Head Start\u2019s specific federal requirement that children be supervised at all times, reduce mandatory annual staff training on preventing abuse and neglect, repeal the prohibition on corporal punishment, shaming, humiliation, and seclusion practices, and remove the timelines that ensure a child\u2019s developmental, dental, and medical needs are actually screened and followed up on.\u201d\n\nLastly, the Members explain how the cuts would roll back its strict student support systems that keep children in school:\n\n\u201cThis proposed rule would strip Head Start\u2019s ban on expelling children and its strict limits on suspension which is deeply concerning. These protections exist because preschoolers are already suspended and expelled at rates far above K-12 students. Additionally, disparities in suspension and expulsion are already significant for children of color, boys, and children with disabilities. Federal data show that children of color account for a disproportionate share of preschool suspensions, while children served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) make up 23 percent of enrollment but 74 percent of expulsions.7 Removing these federal protections will not close those gaps. It will widen them.\u201d\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\nThe letter was signed by: Amo, Gabe; Ansari, Yassamin; Balint, Becca; Barrag\u00e1n, Nanette; Beatty, Joyce; Bonamici, Suzanne; Brownley, Julia; Brown, Shontel; Budzinski, Nikki; Carbajal, Salud; Carson, Andr\u00e9; Castor, Kathy; Chu, Judy; Clarke, Yvette; Craig, Angie; Crockett, Jasmine; Davids, Sharice; Dean, Madeleine; DeGette, Diana; DelBene, Suzan; Dexter, Maxine; Dingell, Debbie; Elfreth, Sarah; Escobar, Veronica; Foushee, Valerie; Frankel, Lois; Friedman, Laura; Garcia, Sylvia; Goodlander, Maggie; Grijalva, Adelita; Hayes, Jahana; Horsford, Steven; Houlahan, Chrissy; Hoyle, Val; Jacobs, Sara; Jayapal, Pramila; Johnson, Julie; Kamlager-Dove, Sydney; Kaptur, Marcy; Kelly, Robin; Lee, Summer; Leger Fernandez, Teresa; Matsui, Doris; McBath, Lucy; McBride, Sarah; McClain Delaney, April; McClellan, Jennifer; McCollum, Betty; McDonald Rivet, Kristen; McIver, LaMonica; Mejia, Analilia; Meng, Grace; Moore, Gwen; Moskowitz, Jared; Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria; Omar, Ilhan; Pelosi, Nancy; Pettersen, Brittany; Pingree, Chellie; Pou, Nellie; Pressley, Ayanna; Ramirez, Delia; Randall, Emily; Rivas, Luz; Ross, Deborah; Salinas, Andrea; Scanlon, Mary Gay; Schakowsky, Janice; Scholten, Hillary; Schrier, Kim; Sewell, Terri; Simon, Lateefah; Stansbury, Melanie; Stevens, Haley; Strickland, Marilyn; Sykes, Emilia; Titus, Dina; Tlaib, Rashida; Tokuda, Jill; Torres, Norma; Trahan, Lori; Underwood, Lauren; Vel\u00e1zquez, Nydia; Wasserman Schultz, Debbie; Watson Coleman, Bonnie; Williams, Nikema; Wilson, Frederica\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-22T09:42:49Z", "2026-09-22T09:44:35Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://torres.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-torres-joins-democratic-womens-caucus-members-in-calling-out-hhs-secretary-for-proposed-plan-to-gut-head-start"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7111441120505333, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}