As a potential government shutdown looms, D.C. teachers and families visited the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to urge senators to vote no on a spending bill that would force the District to slash spending of its own funds by over $1 billion.
More than 100 DC Public Schools parents, students and advocates assembled in the Hart Senate Office Building atrium and said they planned to visit every office to talk with senators and members of their staff. They said it’s critical to preserve education in D.C. and speak up when they have no representation in the Senate.
“Nobody wants a shutdown. Everybody wants the government working for the people. We’re saying that includes the 700,000 people that live and work and go to school in Washington, D.C. It includes us,” one participant said.
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Organizers called the protest Recess at the Capitol and urged participants to “bring your kids, signs, crayons and creativity” on a no-school day for DCPS students.
“While lawmakers debate our future, we’ll show them exactly who they’re impacting,” organizers said.
One D.C. teacher said he fears budget cuts would deprive his students of social workers and free lunches.
“We could lose a lot of services that keep our kids healthy, and when our kids are healthy, they can learn,” he said.
Senate Democrats have said they want to vote on an alternative stopgap funding bill. Republican senators need at least eight Democrats to join them in approving the original funding deal passed by the House.
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