Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., the Republican chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), is urging Congress to reconsider the federal charter of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union representing approximately 3 million educators.
The NEA received its congressional charter in 1906 with a stated mission "to elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching; and to promote the cause of education in the United States." Cassidy's office released a report this week detailing what he describes as the union's departures from that original purpose.
According to Cassidy, the NEA has engaged in financial activities that send membership dues to left-leaning political causes, partnered with organizations promoting curricula his report characterizes as radical, and mobilized students and teachers for liberal activist campaigns. The senator's report specifically highlights the Zinn Education Project and Rethinking Schools—two educational nonprofits—as key partners of concern.
"Children are struggling to read and to do basic math," Cassidy told Fox News Digital. "Parents deserve to send their children to school without worrying that they will be indoctrinated with DEI and taught that Americans have 'misplaced faith' in our institutions."
The HELP Committee report states that materials published by partnered organizations "justify the actions of the Black Panther Party" and, according to the report, contain ideological content inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution. The report also references lesson plans from Rethinking Schools involving role-play exercises related to political activism.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive advocates and Democratic lawmakers have historically defended teachers unions as essential protectors of public education funding, worker rights, and classroom resources. Union representatives argue that collective bargaining ensures fair salaries and benefits that retain quality educators, particularly in under-resourced schools.
Teachers union officials contend that organizing around social justice issues falls within their mission to advocate for students from marginalized communities. They note that the NEA's political spending represents a small fraction of its overall activities and reflects democratic decision-making by member votes.
Democratic legislators have generally opposed efforts to revoke or restrict teachers union charters, arguing such moves would suppress the speech rights of working educators. Union advocates maintain that criticism of DEI programs often conflates diversity initiatives with academic excellence rather than addressing genuine educational outcomes.
What the Right Is Saying
Senator Cassidy argues that the NEA has strayed far from its founding purpose and that Congress has an obligation to ensure chartered organizations fulfill their stated missions. "Teachers' unions are injecting a dangerous, anti-American agenda into our classrooms," he said in his statement to Fox News Digital.
Conservative critics point to the NEA's involvement in organizing for the 2026 May Day protests critical of President Donald Trump's administration as evidence of political overreach. The HELP Committee report notes that planning webinars advised educators to "bring activism into the classroom" targeting children as young as three years old, a practice Republicans argue diverts attention from core academics.
The report also cites the NEA's financial contributions since 2015—hundreds of millions of dollars to advocacy organizations and political action committees—as problematic use of mandatory membership dues for partisan purposes. Revoking the charter would primarily serve as a reputational consequence, as the union could continue operating without it.
What the Numbers Show
The National Education Association represents approximately 3 million educators across all 50 states, making it the largest labor union in the United States by membership.
Congress granted the NEA its federal charter in 1906. According to Cassidy's report, since 2015 the union has contributed "hundreds of millions of dollars" to advocacy organizations and political action committees, with the vast majority supporting left-of-center causes, per the committee's analysis.
The report references Chicago Public Schools data showing subpar reading and math competency scores as context for concerns about time spent on activism over academics. Exact figures for union spending breakdowns were not included in available excerpts of the HELP Committee report.
The Bottom Line
Senator Cassidy is calling for a congressional review of whether the NEA should retain its federal charter, which it has held since 1906. While revoking the charter would not shut down the union's operations, it would represent a significant symbolic rebuke from Congress.
The effort faces an uncertain path in the Senate, where Democrats have historically defended teachers unions as core Democratic constituencies and labor movement institutions. Any action to revoke or modify the charter would require votes from members across party lines.
What remains clear is that the debate reflects broader tensions over the appropriate role of teachers unions in political advocacy versus their traditional focus on educator working conditions and student outcomes. The NEA has not yet issued a formal public response to Cassidy's report, according to available records.