The bill
A resolution designating the week of February 24 through February 28, 2025, as "Public Schools Week".
SRES. 96, 119th Congress — read as touching Teachers Unions.
Sponsored by
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
ID: C001035
Follow the money
The bill
SRES. 96, 119th Congress — read as touching Teachers Unions.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
The alignment
This bill's text tracks the "Introduction" section, p. 356-358 of the Mandate for Leadership.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S1359; text: CR S1358)
February 24, 2025
📍 Current Status
Next: The full Senate will vote on whether to pass the bill.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the United States Senate. SRES 96: a resolution that's about as substantial as a participation trophy.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The main purpose of this bill is to designate a week in February as "Public Schools Week." Wow, what a bold move. I'm sure the fate of public education hangs in the balance, and this resolution will single-handedly solve all the problems plaguing our schools. The objectives are clear: to make politicians look like they care about education without actually doing anything meaningful.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** There are no key provisions or changes to existing law. This is a non-binding resolution, which means it's nothing more than a feel-good statement with zero teeth. It's a press release masquerading as legislation. The Senate is essentially saying, "Hey, we love public schools! Let's give them a week!" without committing to any actual support or reform.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The affected parties are the politicians who sponsored this bill and their constituents, who will no doubt be impressed by this empty gesture. Teachers, students, and parents might get a warm fuzzy feeling from this resolution, but it won't put food on the table or improve the quality of education.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** The potential impact is zero. Zilch. Nada. This resolution will not increase funding for public schools, reduce class sizes, or improve teacher training. It won't address the systemic issues plaguing our education system, such as inequality, lack of resources, and bureaucratic inefficiency. The only implication is that politicians will continue to pretend they care about education while doing nothing to actually fix it.
In medical terms, this bill is a classic case of " Legislative Lip Service Syndrome" (LLSS). Symptoms include empty rhetoric, meaningless gestures, and a complete lack of substance. Treatment involves a healthy dose of skepticism, a strong stomach for hypocrisy, and a willingness to call out politicians on their BS.
Diagnosis: SRES 96 is a terminal case of LLSS, and the prognosis is poor. The patient (public education) will continue to suffer from neglect and underfunding while politicians pat themselves on the back for doing nothing.
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No organization contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: R000122
Top Contributors
10
ID: K000384
Top Contributors
10
ID: H001042
Top Contributors
10
ID: K000383
Top Contributors
10
ID: B001277
Top Contributors
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ID: D000563
Top Contributors
10
ID: V000128
Top Contributors
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ID: S001181
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ID: H001076
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10
ID: B001288
Top Contributors
10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 52 nodes and 36 connections (53 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $114,600
Showing top 15 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 2 helped.
The bill designates a week as 'Public Schools Week' and emphasizes the importance of public education, which could be seen as supportive of teachers unions and their efforts to promote public education (Whereas public education is a significant institution in a 21st-century democracy; Whereas Federal, State, and local lawmakers should prioritize support for strengthening the public schools of the United States).
The resolution's support for public schools and educators could be interpreted as broadly supportive of labor unions, given the role of unions in education (Whereas superintendents, principals, other school leaders, teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents make public schools vital components of communities).
This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.
— 323 — Department of Education l Stopping executive overreach. Congress should set policy—not Presidents through pen-and-phone executive orders, and not agencies through regulations and guidance. National emergency declarations should expire absent express congressional authorization within 60 days after the date of the declaration. Bolstered by an ever-growing cabal of special interests that thrive off federal largesse, the infrastructure that supports America’s costly federal intervention in education from early childhood through graduate school has entrenched itself. But, unlike the public sector bureaucracies, public employee unions, and the higher education lobby, families and students do not need a Department of Education to learn, grow, and improve their lives. It is critical that the next Administration tackle this entrenched infrastructure. NEEDED REFORMS Federal intervention in education has failed to promote student achievement. After trillions spent since 1965 on the collective programs now housed within the walls of the department, student academic outcomes remain stagnant. On the main National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), reading out- comes on the 2022 administration have remained unchanged over the past 30 years. Declines in math performance are even more concerning than students’ lack of progress on reading outcomes. Fourth- and eighth-grade math scores saw the largest decline since the assessments were first administered in 1990. Average fourth-grade math scores declined five points, and average eighth-grade math scores declined eight points. Just one-third of eighth graders nationally are proficient in reading and math. Just 27 percent of eighth graders were pro- ficient in math in 2022, and just 31 percent of eighth graders scored proficient in reading in 2022. The NAEP Long-term Trend Assessment shows academic stagnation since the 1970s, with particular stagnation in the reading scores of 13-year-old students since 1971, when the assessment was first administered. Math scores, though modestly improved, are still lackluster. Additionally, the department has created a “shadow” department of education operating in states across the country. Federal mandates, programs, and proclama- tions have spurred a hiring spree among state education agencies, with more than 48,000 employees currently on staff in state agencies across the country. Those employees are more than 10 times the number of employees (4,400)10 at the federal Department of Education, and their jobs largely entail reporting back to Washing- ton. Research conducted by The Heritage Foundation’s Jonathan Butcher finds that the federal government funds 41 percent of the salary costs of state educa- tion agencies.11 — 324 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise CHART 1 Trends in Fourth- and Eighth-Grade Reading EIGHTH-GRADE READING, AVERAGE SCORES 270 265 263 260 260 255 1992 1994 1998 ’02’03 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 FOURTH-GRADE READING, AVERAGE SCORES 225 220 220 217 215 210 1992 1994 1998 2000 ’02’03 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 SOURCES: The Nation’s Report Card, “National Average Scores,” Grade 4, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ reading/nation/scores/?grade=4 (accessed March 17, 2023), and The Nation’s Report Card, “National Average Scores,” Grade 8, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading/nation/scores/?grade=4 (accessed March 17, 2023). A heritage.org
— 323 — Department of Education l Stopping executive overreach. Congress should set policy—not Presidents through pen-and-phone executive orders, and not agencies through regulations and guidance. National emergency declarations should expire absent express congressional authorization within 60 days after the date of the declaration. Bolstered by an ever-growing cabal of special interests that thrive off federal largesse, the infrastructure that supports America’s costly federal intervention in education from early childhood through graduate school has entrenched itself. But, unlike the public sector bureaucracies, public employee unions, and the higher education lobby, families and students do not need a Department of Education to learn, grow, and improve their lives. It is critical that the next Administration tackle this entrenched infrastructure. NEEDED REFORMS Federal intervention in education has failed to promote student achievement. After trillions spent since 1965 on the collective programs now housed within the walls of the department, student academic outcomes remain stagnant. On the main National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), reading out- comes on the 2022 administration have remained unchanged over the past 30 years. Declines in math performance are even more concerning than students’ lack of progress on reading outcomes. Fourth- and eighth-grade math scores saw the largest decline since the assessments were first administered in 1990. Average fourth-grade math scores declined five points, and average eighth-grade math scores declined eight points. Just one-third of eighth graders nationally are proficient in reading and math. Just 27 percent of eighth graders were pro- ficient in math in 2022, and just 31 percent of eighth graders scored proficient in reading in 2022. The NAEP Long-term Trend Assessment shows academic stagnation since the 1970s, with particular stagnation in the reading scores of 13-year-old students since 1971, when the assessment was first administered. Math scores, though modestly improved, are still lackluster. Additionally, the department has created a “shadow” department of education operating in states across the country. Federal mandates, programs, and proclama- tions have spurred a hiring spree among state education agencies, with more than 48,000 employees currently on staff in state agencies across the country. Those employees are more than 10 times the number of employees (4,400)10 at the federal Department of Education, and their jobs largely entail reporting back to Washing- ton. Research conducted by The Heritage Foundation’s Jonathan Butcher finds that the federal government funds 41 percent of the salary costs of state educa- tion agencies.11
Policy matches are calculated using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text. A score of 60% or higher indicates meaningful thematic overlap. This does not imply direct causation or intent, but highlights areas where legislation aligns with Project 2025 policy objectives.