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.
Since taking the House majority, Republicans have chosen confrontation over compromise, choosing to move to the extreme right instead of moving to the middle and finding common ground. For over a year, Republicans have refused to work with Democrats, clinging to their partisan stance and walking away.
Perhaps the only silver lining to the Great Recession is that it triggered a new focus on manufacturing in the United States. After 25 years of being sold a shiny vision of a service-dominated post-industrial economy, the U.S. is rediscovering how important it is to actually make things in order to spur innovation, raise wages, drive exports and lower the trade deficit.
From the Democratic Whip Press Shop:
In their headlong charge to protect tax cuts for the wealthy at all costs, Senate Republicans voted today to block consideration of a measure to keep student loan rates from doubling on July 1. This comes on the heels of House Republicans rejecting any attempts at a bipartisan compromise on the student loan issue. And guess what? The American people don’t like that too much.
I was disappointed that Senate Republicans today voted to block a bill that would keep student loan interest rates low for another year. If Congress fails to act by July 1, the interest rates on student loans for 7.4 million Americans will double. We cannot allow this to happen. I strongly urge Republicans to get serious about keeping student loan interest rates low, and I hope they will work with Democrats to address this issue before the July 1 deadline arrives that includes a pay-for acceptable to both sides.
When I was a student at Suitland High School, in Prince George’s County, Maryland, I had a teacher who left a lasting impression on me. Ms. Jane Dumire was a young, energetic, and inspiring teacher of journalism and English. As such, she served as the advisor to the school paper, and as a junior I was the editor of its sports page. She was also advisor to the yearbook, for which I was the editor in my senior year.
I served on the Labor and Health Committee for 23 years. Bill Natcher from Kentucky used to say this: if you take care of the health of your people and invest in the education of your young people, you'll continue to be the strongest and best nation on the face of the Earth.
House Republicans are reversing course after clearly feeling pressure to take action to maintain student loan interest rates at 3.4 percent for another year. However, I believe there are ways we could do so without eliminating important public health funding, such as ending unnecessary subsidies for big oil companies making record profits.
Today, President Obama reiterated Democrats’ commitment to ensuring more Americans get a fair shot at an affordable college education and called on Congress to prevent interest rates on student loans from doubling. On July 1, the interest rates on subsidized Stafford student loans are slated to double from 3.4% to 6.8%, and if Congress fails to take action, millions of students will be affected.
Unemployment hovers above 9 percent. Foreign competition has thrown many out of work. It is a platitude that this industrial hub, like the country itself, needs more manufacturing work.
This week, House Republicans will vote again for their budget that ends the Medicare guarantee and puts our economic recovery at risk, while cutting taxes for the wealthy. Back in their districts, it was poorly received by voters who are concerned about the impact of the budget.