Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

As a representative of a district with numerous institutions of higher learning, it was vital that I secure a seat on the Education and Labor Committee. I believe it is important to invest in lifelong learning if eastern Connecticut and our nation is going to compete in a global economy. Already, the Committee has debated and the House has passed a Head Start bill that expands access to 10,000 children and increases teacher qualifications and teacher salaries. I co-authored an amendment that was included in the bill to provide loan forgiveness to teachers as an incentive for attracting more qualified teachers.

The Committee is also tasked with reauthorizing the landmark No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and the Higher Education Act (HEA). NCLB had laudable goals of closing the achievement gap and bringing students up to grade-level proficiency in reading and math, but the Act has been woefully underfunded. The Committee must also craft legislation that makes college more accessible and affordable. One of the first bills I had the privilege of voting for as a new Member of the 110th Congress cut interest rates on certain loans. In addition, Congress passed legislation to make the lending process more transparent to ensure that students are getting the best financial aid packages and are not encouraged to accumulate overwhelming debt.

The process of learning and acquiring skills does not end with college graduation. As the economy changes, businesses, states and localities must have the tools to provide training to dislocated and incumbent workers. The Committee will be looking at ways to streamline the process so that individuals get the training they need in their current job or to re-enter the workforce in another capacity.

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