I am a firm believer in the power of education, and strengthening our nation’s education system to expand educational opportunities to every student must be a top priority.
I proudly supported the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced “No Child Left Behind”,and ensures public schools provide a quality education for all kids. We must continue to work towards closing the achievement gap for American students by supporting our schools and teachers with the tools and resources they need to educate a 21st century workforce. We also must make changes to ensure higher education and skills training opportunities are affordable and accessible for all students. The unfortunate reality is that skyrocketing college costs are putting a college education out of reach for many families. To help address this, I have supported legislation that prevented student loan interest rates from doubling, and locked in rates for new student loans to prevent rates from skyrocketing in the future.
This is a good step, but further action must be taken. That is why I support the Biden-Harris Administration’s plans to offer targeted debt relief to address the financial harms of the pandemic for low- and middle-income borrowers of all ages. I also support legislation that would lower the cost of higher education by increasing federal need-based aid, like the Pell Grant.
Finally and importantly, we must further invest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education today in order to produce the innovators and inventors of tomorrow. As co-chair of the Congressional High-Tech Caucus, I continue to advocate for all students to have equal access to STEM education. I have hosted a number of STEM panels at our local high schools, bringing together students and professionals in these fields, to help students get excited about the possibilities. I want to make sure that not only is our nation producing the STEM leaders of tomorrow, but that they are coming from the Sacramento region.
