Recognizing American Education Week
Floor Speech
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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize American Education Week.
Every year, this week underscores the importance of access to quality education. It honors the teachers, instructors, and educational mentors who make a difference in the lives of our Nation's learners.
Working to ensure access to high-quality and affordable education for all students is of utmost importance. The American education system should be as diverse as our Nation's students, including learners of all ages, of all socioeconomic backgrounds, and from rural America, urban America, and everywhere in between. That includes students who choose to pursue a traditional 4-year college degree as well as those who choose to attend a trade school or an apprenticeship program.
As co-chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus, I have been pleased to introduce a number of career and technical education bills, alongside my fellow co-chair, Congressman Jim Langevin, which aim to restore rungs on the ladder of opportunity for every American.
Most recently, that includes H.R. 5092, the Counseling for Career Choice Act. H.R. 5092 ensures students have access to quality counseling resources that can help them make more informed decisions about their educational futures and professional career choices. By better equipping these students with the skills to succeed, we are one step closer to closing our Nation's skills gap.
The skills gap is the result of a lack of qualified students in STEM disciplines like nursing, energy, information technology, cybersecurity, and more. Career and technical education is working to empower students by equipping them with employable skills.
To directly address the workforce shortage in cybersecurity, I was proud to cosponsor H.R. 1592, the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act. This bill would create a pilot program through the Department of Education to award grants to create or expand existing postsecondary CTE programs in cybersecurity competencies.
Career and technical education has support outside of the Education and Labor Committee as well. I also cosponsored H.R. 898, the Skills Investment Act of 2019. H.R. 898 enhances Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, which are tax-advantaged savings accounts for educational expenses. American workers can use the accounts to pay for skills-based learning, career training, and workforce development. In addition, both workers and employers receive tax credits for contributions to these accounts.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to addressing the shortage of our skilled workforce, we need to continue increasing educational access for students who are living with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures nearly 7 million infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities have access to quality education.
Unfortunately, Congress has fallen short on our commitment to these individuals, and support for students with disabilities has remained underfunded. That is why I was proud to support H.R. 1878, the IDEA Full Funding Act, which would mandate gradual increases in IDEA funding to reach the full funding as promised by Congress when IDEA was passed and to do that by fiscal year 2029.
Lastly, there are many bipartisan bills that support quality education for American learners. I have always believed that we produce the best results for students when we work across the aisle. However, the partisan College Affordability Act, which would reauthorize the Higher Education Act, actually contributes to crippling college costs and widens our Nation's skills gap.
It is my hope that we can offer real solutions like the High-Quality Opportunities in Postsecondary Education Act, or the HOPE Act, which provides institutions with the tools they need to help students prepare for successful careers and successful lives.
This is American Education Week. Let's remember that students deserve better than a one-size-fits-all educational plan.
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