WASHINGTON ‒ The Trump administration’s sweeping effort to roll back Head Start regulations is drawing resistance from both parties in Congress,

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Aug. 5 that his department plans to eliminate or significantly scale back many of the federal regulations governing the multibillion-dollar Head Start program. The current rules span more than 100 pages.

The proposed changes would eliminate requirements for disability screenings, smaller class sizes, daily toothbrushing assistance and bus monitors. Rules requiring comparable pay for staff and prohibiting student expulsions would also be removed.

Several Senate Republicans have voiced concern in recent days about cutting back those standards, which advocates argue are important for protecting children’s health and safety.

Teaching assistant Anna Muniz reads a book with children during a Head Start preschool class in Wisconsin on Thursday, April 4, 2024.

“We’ve been hearing from our Head Start folks back home that are concerned about what they’re seeing,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told USA TODAY. “That’s something that we’re monitoring.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, said he previously examined potential Head Start reforms at the state level while serving as speaker of North Carolina’s legislature. Still, he questioned whether an overly broad rollback of regulations would be beneficial.

“Just walking away and turning a blind eye toward it, I don’t think that’d be a good idea,” he told USA TODAY.

The Republican concerns carry considerable weight because opposition from influential GOP senators can provide one of the strongest checks on Trump administration policies. Last year, resistance from lawmakers including Sen. Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, to fully eliminating Head Start was widely seen as a key factor in preserving the program.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) arrives for votes at the U.S. Capitol on August 7, 2026.

Sen. Jim Justice, R-West Virginia, said he supports efforts to improve Head Start but warned against changes that could undermine a program he said already serves many children successfully.

“When we start tweaking with stuff, a lot of times we can make it better,” he said in a brief interview. “But there are ways we can make it worse, too.”

Cutting Red Tape, or Going Too Far?

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is interviewed after announcing new nutrition guidelines at the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 7, 2026.

Kennedy maintains that the proposed overhaul would simplify Head Start operations, reduce federal bureaucracy and potentially allow the program to serve more low-income children each year.

Alex Adams, a Kennedy deputy who oversees the Administration for Children and Families, said during a recent call with reporters that Head Start providers would remain subject to applicable state and local rules. He emphasized that reducing federal requirements would give programs more discretion rather than force them to abandon effective practices.

“Flexibility is permission. It’s not a mandate,” he said.

Democrats sharply rejected that argument.

“They’re saying they might be able to serve more children by promising each child less,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, said. “President Trump has all but declared war on Head Start.”

Cassidy Reviewing Proposed Head Start Overhaul

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, walks in the Capitol on August 7, 2026, after announcing his intention to vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate committee overseeing health and education issues and has jurisdiction over Head Start, said he and his staff are examining the proposed regulatory overhaul. Speaking Aug. 6 amid the political battle over Todd Blanche’s attorney general confirmation, Cassidy said he had not yet had the opportunity to fully review the changes.

“I’d like to see what they actually put out,” he told USA TODAY.

The 75-page proposed rule, formally published in the Federal Register on Aug. 7, does more than eliminate existing regulations. It would also establish new requirements, including making English the primary language of instruction and requiring children whose first language is different to learn English while enrolled. The proposal also sets new nutrition standards and requires 30 minutes of physical activity for every 3.5 hours of classroom instruction.

The rulemaking process remains at an early stage, and the proposal could also face legal challenges. Khari Garvin, who led the Office of Head Start during the Biden administration, noted that the public will have 60 days to submit comments. He encouraged concerned teachers and families to participate in the process.

“There still is an opportunity for their voices to be heard.”

“No one should surrender and feel like, well, all is done,” he said.