John,

My Republican opponent was on the radio recently and was asked a straightforward question by a caller about special education funding. The question focused on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.

He was completely unfamiliar with this law — and did not even know if it was state or federal policy. He wrote it down and promised to look into it, but he read the acronym back as "IDF" and referenced "Israeli Defense Fund," which has nothing to do with education!

This would be funny if it were not so scary. IDEA is vital because it guarantees a free, appropriate public education to over 7 million students with disabilities.

In this moment, when the Trump administration is cutting education staff, restructuring the agency, and proposing to shift oversight away from the Department of Education, IDEA remains the core legal shield preventing a return to systemic exclusion and inadequate school support.

Every parent, educator, and advocate should be terrified by this.

I do not expect every candidate to know everything about education policy. But at the very least, you should be familiar with the key issues, and IDEA is key. Especially at a time when this administration is eroding education services and funding for the students who need it most.

As a teacher, I champion legislation to make our classrooms safer and more equitable for all students. That includes fighting for federal education funding to reverse the decades of chronic disinvestment in public education.

Our families deserve a member of Congress who already understands these barriers, not one who has not done his homework on the issues. Chip in today to keep this seat represented by someone who not only knows the law but, more importantly, understands its significance: [[link removed]?]

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

CHIP IN $10 NOW [[link removed]]

CHIP IN $25 NOW [[link removed]]

CHIP IN $50 NOW [[link removed]]

CHIP IN $100 NOW [[link removed]]

CHIP IN $250 NOW [[link removed]]

ANOTHER AMOUNT [[link removed]]

Your support makes all the difference.

Thank you,

Jahana
About Jahana
Jahana Hayes proudly represents Connecticut's 5th Congressional district. Keep up with the latest from Jahana on Facebook [[link removed]] and Twitter [[link removed]] .
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]Email is an important way for us to keep supporters like you informed about critical issues and to build a winning grassroots campaign. If you'd like to receive fewer emails, request to get only the most important emails [[link removed]] .
If you need to update your contact information, please click here [[link removed]] .
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe: [link removed] .
Paid for by Friends of Jahana Hayes
Friends of Jahana Hayes
P.O. Box 1487
Waterbury, CT 06721
United States