The House of Representatives released its FY26 appropriations bill for National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP), which will be marked up by the NSRP Subcommittee today.  

The bill includes $737.6 million for the Nita M. Lowey Basic Education Fund, of which $152 million will be made available for contributions to multilateral partnerships that support global education. In FY25, international basic education was funded at $922 million, with $150 million for multilateral partners. The proposed funding in the FY26 bill is a 20 percent cut to U.S. support for international basic education programs.  

"While we remain deeply concerned about the proposed reduction in bilateral education funding, we recognize the significance of the Subcommittee’s continued commitment to global education,” said Giulia McPherson, Executive Director of the Global Campaign for Education-US.  

Support for international basic education has long been a cornerstone of U.S. leadership in ensuring access to quality education for the world’s most marginalized children. GCE-US will continue to encourage members of Congress to support the highest possible funding level for international basic education.  

“We urge Congress to restore funding to the FY23 enacted level of $970 million and reaffirm that education is not only a human right—it’s a smart, strategic investment in a more peaceful and prosperous future,” said McPherson.