Education
Democrats are committed to ensuring all Americans have access to a high-quality education. If our nation is going to remain the world’s leader, we must not lag our global competitors in education. Democrats are focused on making higher education and skills training more accessible, reducing high school dropout rates, and providing students with the support they need to secure well-paying jobs. From day one, the Trump Administration has undermined protections for and disinvested in America’s students. President Trump’s budget proposes to cut teacher training and literacy programs and reduces funding for the schools and communities most in need. Congressional Republicans have also proposed extreme funding bills that dramatically cut education and job training programs, threatening our ability to build a competitive workforce and help more Americans find good-paying work. Democrats are fighting to protect families from these harmful cuts and have a strong record of making investments that will strengthen education. Democrats have increased Pell grants, cut red tape in the loan process, and made it easier to repay student loans once students join the workforce. Democrats also enacted a major reform bill that ended wasteful taxpayer subsidies to big banks and directed the savings to helping students instead. Democrats also made record investments in community colleges and minority-serving higher education institutions.
Another day, another story on the negative impact of the sequester. In today’s case, two stories. First, the Washington Post details how children across the country are being disadvantaged by cuts to Head Start:
"The enactment of this bill into law will save students billions of dollars in student loan interest rate payments over the next five years.
“I am pleased that Democrats and Republicans in the House were able to come together today to pass the Senate’s bipartisan compromise that will keep student loan interest rates low for borrowers.
As the irrational, Republican policy of sequester continues, more news this morning about the consequences of leaving this senseless policy in place without a balanced alternative to replace it. According to a report in POLITICO, the sequester’s furloughs of teachers, administrators, and support staff at Defense Department schools at installations around the world are set to delay school
“I am encouraged that the Senate has adopted a bipartisan compromise that will keep student loan interest rates low. Education has always been a pathway to opportunities in our country, and we must make sure that those students who work hard to reach college can afford to attend.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
Today, I introduced legislation that would call for Congress and President Obama to fill the vacancies on the Election Assistance Commission, a bipartisan board that provides advice and counsel to states on best practices to carry out their elections and critical assistance to local election officials.
“We ought to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – but do it in a way that helps more children succeed in school and graduate prepared for college or a career. However, instead of promoting student success, this bill will leave more children behind – and it will leave our economy behind as well by undermining our ability to train and secure a highly skilled and competitive workforce for the twenty-first century.
House Republicans’ proposed reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has garnered a wide range of opposition. Instead of working toward a bipartisan solution to reauthorize ESEA, the Republican bill includes extreme policies that undermine our ability to ensure all students receive a world-class education.
“It is disturbing that House Republicans are only interested in shifting the blame for their refusal to compromise – and for its consequences.
“It is extremely disappointing that Congress has failed to act to keep student loan interest rates low. It was no surprise that rates would double today from 3.4% to 6.8%, but partisan dysfunction in Congress continues to stand in the way of solving even the most predictable and easily preventable problems facing our country.