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Mackenzie Wilkes

@mackwilkes.bsky.social

education reporter @ politico

2,360 Followers  |  30 Following  |  20 Posts  |  Joined: 03.07.2023
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Posts by Mackenzie Wilkes (@mackwilkes.bsky.social)

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Shutdown imperils key education program for young children Cash-strapped Head Start centers across the country are being forced to close their doors, with more expected to shutter as the shutdown continues.

Cash-strapped Head Start centers across the country are being forced to close their doors, with more expected to shutter as the shutdown continues.

28.10.2025 15:05 β€” πŸ‘ 36    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 5
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Shutdown imperils key education program for young children Cash-strapped Head Start centers across the country are being forced to close their doors, with more expected to shutter as the shutdown continues.

HHS confirms that more than 58,000 children in Head Start centers nationwide are in programs that will not have federal funding come Nov 1 if the shutdown drags on.
Programs are already starting to close their doors as the shutdown blame game continues:

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

29.10.2025 18:25 β€” πŸ‘ 37    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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β€˜People want proof of concept’: The Trump campaign promise that doesn’t have the votes Shutting down the Education Department will be complicated, especially when every lawmaker has a stake in federal school aid and other agency programs.

Congressional Republicans are forging a plan to make good on President Donald Trump’s directive to close the Education Department.

They see a path to chipping away at the agency program by program, using multiple bills:

www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

18.08.2025 13:17 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
POLITICO Pro: House punts Labor-H markup to after August recess Lawmakers are proposing to fund the departments of Education, Labor, Health and Human Services and related agencies at over $184 billion

New: The House's consideration of the education spending bill is expected to slip into Sept. when lawmakers return from Aug recess. The House Approps Cmte is looking to hold markups on the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill for FY26 the first week of Sept

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

16.07.2025 01:29 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Millions of students could lose federal aid under a proposal to slash Pell Grants Under proposed changes in the House, most recipients could receive a smaller award. Campus leaders want the Senate to save it.

College presidents are looking to the Senate GOP to stave off the House proposal for dramatic changes in Pell Grant eligibility.

β€œThis is a difference between some of those students either coming to our universities or tech colleges or not.”

www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

28.06.2025 20:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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POLITICO Pro: A tax credit in the β€˜big beautiful bill’ could transform school choice The House-passed reconciliation bill includes language to encourage charitable donations for educational expenses.

ICYMI: A tax credit in the β€˜big beautiful bill’ could transform school choice. Lawmakers, advocates are maneuvering to extract an even bigger get out of the Senate. They want:

β€’$10B over 10 years compared to House’s $5B over 4
β€’No income limits

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

16.06.2025 14:49 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told House appropriators this morning that the administration wants to β€œpreserve” Head Start. Kennedy’s written testimony says the administration is seeking to fund the program at FY25 levels.

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

14.05.2025 16:17 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
POLITICO Pro: House GOP tax writers lay out expansion of university endowment tax

House GOP tax writers lay out expansion of university endowment tax:

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

13.05.2025 17:26 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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House Republican tax writers have proposed a major expansion of the tax Congress levies on the nation’s largest college and university endowments in the GOP’s budget bill. The Ways and Means Committee has also laid out a new tax incentive that would support school choice. What you need to know:

13.05.2025 17:24 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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HHS has closed half of its regional Head Start offices outside of Washington, D.C.
If you worked in one of these offices or run a local Head Start program, I want to hear from you. My email is mwilkes@politico.com or you can reach me on Signal at mwilkes.77
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

04.04.2025 16:37 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

An ROI could force the House to act in some capacity. If the House E&W Cmte does not mark up the resolution and report it to the House floor within 14 days after its intro a member can bring a privileged motion to discharge the resolution to the floor.

subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter/2...

21.03.2025 17:02 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New: Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House education committee, is introducing a resolution of inquiry to request information from the Education Department and White House on their plans to dismantle the agency.

21.03.2025 17:00 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Harvard pauses hiring amid β€˜financial uncertainties’ under Trump The university’s pause on faculty and staff hiring comes after the Trump administration pulled $400 million worth of grants and contracts at Columbia University on Friday

Harvard University announces hiring freeze amid Trump administration's scrutiny of federal funding for higher education.

10.03.2025 15:39 β€” πŸ‘ 112    πŸ” 38    πŸ’¬ 15    πŸ“Œ 9
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Musk’s layoffs target offices that aid women and children

Over 40 members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus are asking HHS Secretary RFK Jr to β€œimmediately reinstate any [Administration for Children and Families] federal employees whom HHS fired and not remove any others.”

More in POLITICO’s Women Rule ➑️

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

10.03.2025 16:02 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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ICYMI: HHS’ Head Start and child care office have lost a reported 20-25% of staff. This could impede grantees from getting technical support to access their federal dollars.

β€œThey want to undermine trust in the ability of the federal government to provide services”

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

10.03.2025 15:59 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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House Republicans are already prepping to move legislation on trans sports participation.

The rules pkg for the 119th Congress sets up consideration of a bill to amend Title IX to recognize that sex is based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth.
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

03.01.2025 17:03 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
POLITICO Pro: Mike Johnson lays out agenda to combat antisemitism next Congress The House GOP's new report on the chamber-wide investigations into antisemitism layout recommendations for Congress, the administration and universities

Looking ahead: House Speaker Mike Johnson has laid out an agenda to address the increase in antisemitic complaints on college campuses next Congress.

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024...

21.12.2024 03:12 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
POLITICO Pro: Walberg wins House Education and the Workforce chair race

Walberg told me earlier this week: β€œI’m the complete package. Sixteen years on the committee, four waivers that I sought to stay on the committee β€” that says something about my passion for this committee.”

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024...

13.12.2024 01:04 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Walberg bests Owens to lead House Education and the Workforce panel The Michigan Republican once worked as a union steelworker to help pay his way through college and later served on the statehouse’s education committee.

Rep. Tim Walberg has been tapped to lead the Education and the Workforce Committee, defeating Rep. Burgess Owens.

Walberg, dean of the Michigan delegation, has been on the panel for over a decade.

www.politico.com/live-updates...

13.12.2024 01:04 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Linda McMahon's education resume isn't long. But Senate Republicans who will oversee her confirmation tell me that's to her advantage.

β€œShe has run an agency which did a lot of loans and one of the dominant issues that’s before the Department of Education is the FAFSA program.”

21.11.2024 17:33 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Some states have turned to colleges or public-private partnerships to boost the child care sector, but the GAO said in a Senate hearing that a β€œfull accounting of how all the pandemic funds are being spent will likely not be available until 2025 or 2026.” subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter/2...

28.08.2023 20:11 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€˜A crying need for kids’: Federal child care aid dwindles States have until Sept. 30 to spend the remaining child care stabilization money allocated by Congress

β€œThis is a crying need for kids, for parents, for child care providers,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said.

States have until Sept. 30 to spend the roughly $4.1 B in child care stabilization funds from the American Rescue Plan.
www.politico.com/news/2023/08...

28.08.2023 20:04 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0