Hbcu Propelling Agency Relationships Towards A New Era of Results for Students Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker), my friend, for yielding.

I rise today in strong support of S. 461, the HBCU PARTNERS Act, introduced by my friend from South Carolina in the Senate, Senator Tim Scott; and my good friend here in the House, Congresswoman Alma Adams of North Carolina; and a strong bipartisan group, including my good friend from Virginia, our chairman of the Education & Labor Committee.

Mr. Speaker, HBCUs play a critical role in the education of our young people in this country. Throughout their history, they have helped students achieve the dream of a college education and their unique start to that pursuit of happiness.

In our central Arkansas region, we are blessed with four outstanding HBCUs, including Arkansas Baptist College, Philander Smith College, Shorter College, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

As the vice chairman of the Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus, I am encouraged by the legislation that we consider today because it draws on partnerships--public, private, community--to strengthen our HBCUs. This has been a key for success of our HBCUs in Arkansas.

Inspired by the strong Federal consensus both in the executive branch and the legislative branch, last year I sponsored and hosted the first regional HBCU Summit in Little Rock to foster public- and private- sector partnerships to enhance our HBCUs for philanthropy, student recruitment and advancement, and workforce partnerships and apprenticeships.

I am committed to supporting our HBCUs to help them continue to graduate Americans who are prepared for a competitive global environment.

Every student in America deserves the opportunity to succeed. For thousands of students in Arkansas and across the country, HBCUs offer those young people the key tools to help them succeed in that opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends on the HBCU Caucus, Chair Adams; our friend from Pennsylvania; and, of course, the chairman.

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