Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

A strong public school system will prepare the next generation of Americans for the jobs of the future and promote economic security. All of America's students should have access to a high-quality education that will create opportunities and help them achieve the American Dream. We must make sure our children receive the tools they need to succeed in school, including early childhood education programs, school modernization projects, and investments to increase high-quality learning opportunities.

Unfortunately, because of the sequester that went into effect earlier this year, our public schools are facing serious challenges. We should be investing in education right now, not mortgaging our future and putting our kids at risk. Right now there are more than 50,000 children who cannot get into the Headstart program due to sequestration cuts. These children will be 3 and 4 years old just once and will have missed the important advantages provided by Headstart. I believe that the cuts to education under the sequester are unacceptable. For this reason I am returning 8.4% of my salary, which is the same reduction that most discretionary programs, including education, have been cut. If Congress is going to try to balance the budget on the backs of our children, it is only fair that I also bear that burden.

Higher education remains prohibitively expensive and out of reach for many Americans. I was able to afford to go to college because of Pell Grants, student loans and a part-time job. Investing in scholarships, promoting Pell Grants, and expanding the availability and accessibility of student loan programs are imperative for our nation to provide opportunity for all. I was proud to help introduce H.R. 1595, the Student Loan Relief Act of 2013, a bill that was part of the effort that kept student loan rates from doubling on July 1, 2013.

I am also a strong supporter of STEAM education. We need a trained workforce that can compete in the global economy and it is never too early to start training. Introducing students to STEAM activities, like robotics at Jane Addams Junior High, will help make them aware of opportunities and careers they might never have thought of. When I visit manufacturers in Illinois they tell me that they have job openings but don't have the right candidates to fill the positions. STEAM education is crucial to providing good jobs for future generations and allowing Illinois businesses to succeed. I was proud to have Michelle Burke, a science teacher at Jane Addams Junior High School in Schaumburg, as my guest to the 2014 State of the Union Address.

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