K-12
A quality education is the key to success in our highly competitive 21st century economy. That’s why as both an attorney and a state legislator, I fought for quality public education for all students, working to reduce class sizes, raise teacher pay, and increase investment in early childhood education. The federal government plays an important role in ensuring that all our students have access to a high-quality public education, including by providing critical funding to support Title I schools and students served by the Free and Reduced Lunch program. In Congress, I am fighting for greater federal resources for our schools as well as free, high quality pre-K programs for all our children. Last year, I helped to secure robust support for local governments through the American Rescue Plan, which is expected to yield more than $200 million in additional funding for the Wake County Public School System. I strongly believe an investment in our students is an investment in our shared future.
College Affordability
Tens of thousands of North Carolinians are grappling with crippling student loan debt that undermines their economic security and prevents them from buying homes and starting new businesses. That’s why I fought for and won changes to our tax code that made it easier for families to save for college when I was a state legislator. In Congress, I’m prioritizing common-sense proposals to address college affordability, including an increase to the maximum Pell Grant award, enabling graduate and professional students to access subsidized loans, placing a cap on collection fees charged to borrowers who have defaulted on their loans, and loan forgiveness. I will also continue to fight back against lenders and institutions that make false promises and defraud our students.
Community colleges open new doors of opportunity for thousands of students in Wake County every year. They also play a critical role in preparing our workforce for the jobs of tomorrow. I strongly support tuition-free community college, which offers disadvantaged students a fair shot at a great education and future professional success.
During my first two months in Congress, I introduced the bipartisan Protecting Job Opportunities for Borrowers (JOBs) Act, legislation that will prevent states from suspending, revoking, or denying state-issued driver’s licenses, teaching licenses, and other professional licenses solely because borrowers are behind on their federal student loan payments.
Investing in our Shared Future
Every week, I hear from families juggling child care and work, older Americans who need accessible home care, families struggling to afford quality health care, and people who are worried about the climate crisis. I voted to pass the historic Build Back Better Act to improve access to life-saving medical care; deliver affordable health care, child care, and home care; expand affordable housing and education; and launch the most significant effort to combat the climate crisis in American history. With this legislation, we are making long overdue investments in our people for generations to come – investments in our children, parents, and grandparents.
Original source can be found here.
