February 05, 2025

Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers and Actions from Feds as Many Head Start Programs in Oregon and Nationwide Still Face Funding Disruptions

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are joining colleagues to demand answers and action from the Trump administration about the acute financial impacts and lingering uncertainty faced by Head Start programs in Oregon and nationwide following the Office of Management and Budget’s memo that froze funding government-wide, and as many Head Start programs continue to be locked out of their funding.

The letter signed by Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Merkley, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, went to Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dorothy A. Fink, M.D. and Acting Director of the Office of Head Start Captain Tala Hooban.

“Head Start programs cannot pay their teachers and staff and continue normal operations without the assurances of payment processing and notices of grant renewals and awards,” wrote the senators. “This will impact children, families, and communities across the country, particularly the rural communities where these programs represent a large share of the child care options.”

While the White House later clarified that Head Start would not be targeted by the funding freeze and the OMB later rescinded its memo, Head Start programs temporarily could not access the Payment Management System to use their allocated federal funds, with many still facing disruptions. As a result, Head Start programs nationwide have not had funding disbursed in a timely manner – imperiling their ability to pay staff and keep educational and child care programs up and running.

“Even if this issue extends beyond the Office of Head Start, we urge you to do everything in your power to ensure these programs receive transparent and frequent communication on the progress of their funds being released. Head Start programs operate on razor-thin margins and cannot survive without timely intervention. Children, families, employees, and educators all depend on these critical federal funds,” the senators continued.

In addition to Wyden and Merkley, Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., led lawmakers in the letter, which was signed by U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Mark R. Warner, D-Va., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Catherine Cortez Masto D-Nev., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Peter Welch, D-V.t., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i., Angela Alsobrooks, D-M.d., and Andy Kim, D-N.J.

The letter text is here.