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Senate committee chair calls for review of National Education Association's federal charter

Sen. Bill Cassidy alleges the country's largest teachers union has strayed from its 1906 mandate through left-wing activism and political spending.

The short version

  • Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy released a report urging Congress to reconsider the 1906 federal charter of the National Education Association (NEA).
  • The report criticizes the union's partnerships with progressive curriculum groups, its participation in protests against Donald Trump, and its financial support for Democratic-aligned organizations.
  • Revoking the charter would serve primarily as a reputational blow, as the NEA would still be legally permitted to operate.
  • The push comes as Princess R. Moss begins her term as NEA president, while the union and related organizations have not yet publicly responded to the report.

Key facts

  • Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Bill Cassidy issued a report calling on Congress to reconsider the NEA's 1906 federal charter.[Fox News]
  • The committee report accuses the NEA of mission drift, highlighting its collaborations with curriculum groups Rethinking Schools and the Zinn Education Project.[Fox News]
  • Cassidy's report states that the NEA has spent hundreds of millions of dollars since 2015 on left-of-center advocacy groups, PACs, and organizations including the Sixteen Thirty Fund and Tides Foundation.[Fox News]
  • The report also criticizes the NEA's involvement in 2026 May Day protests against Donald Trump and cites an August 2025 letter alleging unaddressed antisemitism toward Jewish members.[Fox News]
  • Princess R. Moss assumed office as the NEA's new president on a three-year term, succeeding Becky Pringle.[Fox News]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether Congress will formally take up legislation or committee action to alter or revoke the NEA's charter remains unknown.[Fox News]
  • The NEA, American Federation of Teachers, Rethinking Schools, and the Zinn Education Project did not respond to requests for comment regarding the report's allegations.[Fox News]

Sources