A substantial proportion of participants in public adult education programs struggle with "basic" academic print literacy skills. According to the 2014-2015 National Reporting System (NRS) data, 48.7% of the national adult basic education/adult secondary education (ABE/ ASE) population tested as reading at or below the "Low Intermediate Basic" level (Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education National Reporting System (OCTAE NRS), n.d.-a). In some places, the proportion was much higher: for example, in the same year in Texas, 68% of ABE/ASE participants were at or below this level (OCTAE NRS, n.d.-b). A low score on a standardized ABE/ASE intake assessment is not an indication of "low intellect" or "low ability"; it is, however, frequently an indication of substantial difficulty with many aspects of academic reading and writing. In this article, the author explores the potential negative impact of contemporary federal policy on these low-scoring adult readers and the programs that serve them.