Congressman Luke Messer

Representing the 6th District of Indiana

Education

In our modern society, a good education is one of the keys to a great life. Although a high school diploma used to guarantee a comfortable living, nowadays many college graduates have difficulty finding stable, good-paying jobs and often have a mountain of student loan debt they can’t repay.

While the Federal government has a limited role in elementary and secondary education, it should ensure that all children—regardless of their parents’ income or zip code—have the same opportunity to get the best possible education. That’s why I am a strong proponent of school choice.

In 2014, I formed the Congressional School Choice Caucus, which is dedicated to expanding educational freedom and promoting policies that increase high-quality education options for all children. I also introduced legislation that allows states to use federal education funding to expand education choices.

The Federal government has more responsibility over higher education. Congress needs to encourage colleges to control costs and help ensure more students are graduating sooner with less debt. Eliminating burdensome and unnecessary regulations that add to those costs is a good start. Students and their parents also must have the information they need to make cost-conscious decisions, which is why I introduced legislation the House has passed to make that information more accessible. Federal education policies need to ensure equal access to educational opportunities so our children and grandchildren can have the best chance possible at living the American Dream.

More on Education

Sep 16, 2014

WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Luke Messer introduced sweeping legislation that will empower parents to choose the best school option for their child and invest more in their child’s education.

“For our students to compete in the 21st Century global economy, they need to have access to a high-quality education,” said Congressman Luke Messer. “Right now, that’s not a reality for too many kids.  Our bill will not only help make access to a great education possible for more students, but also more affordable for families.”

Sep 16, 2014

The Honorable Luke Messer

Expanding educational freedom

September 16, 2014

I have a radical idea.

Let’s let parents choose where to send their kids to school.

Let’s make it easier for them to save for their children’s education.

Let's give every kid in America access to a great school. 

Our current education system works for many.

But it is failing too many others. 

Today, I introduced a bill to change that.

Sep 4, 2014

GREENFIELD, Ind.—Today, Members of Congress, school leaders and business owners came together in Greenfield, Indiana, to discuss the effects of the President's health care law on schools and businesses.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions, on which Congressman Luke Messer serves, convened the hearing in an effort to learn directly from Hoosiers impacted by the Affordable Care Act.

Aug 26, 2014

The open enrollment period for insurance plans mandated by the Affordable Care Act is just months away.  For most Hoosiers, that means a bigger bite out of their monthly budgets next year.  Health insurance premiums in Indiana will go up an average of 13% in 2015 according to a study conducted by the Health Research Institute.   That means individual Hoosiers can expect to pay about $497 per month for insurance without government subsidies.  That’s not affordable, despite the law’s title.

Jul 11, 2014

Editor's note: Rep. Luke Messer, R-Indiana, is the head of the freshman class of House Republicans and is a member of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. Other members of the subcommittee who have also signed on to this include: Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina, chairwoman; Rep. Thomas E. Petri, R-Wisconsin; Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-California; Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pennsylvania; Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan; Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Arizona; Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky; Rep.

Jun 25, 2014

WASHINGTON— Today, this year’s Congressional Art Competition Winner from Indiana’s 6th District got to tour the U.S. Capitol and see her art on display for the first time.  Jennifer Wheeler is a Morristown High School student and came to D.C. for the Congressional Art Competition winners’ reception which will be held tonight. 

Jun 24, 2014

Data can be a powerful tool to provide parents with meaningful information about their child's progress, connect students and families with personalized learning opportunities, and create high-quality materials and tools that can bring our education system into the 21st Century. But recently, concerns about the increasing collection and use of student data in schools have come to the forefront in local education debates.

Jun 17, 2014

GREENFIELD — As Josiah Schaekel made his way across the stage, his family members couldn’t hold back their excitement.

They whooped and hollered for the 18-year-old graduate of the Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy, who not only received his general equivalency diploma Saturday during the ceremony at Greenfield-Central High School but a $500 scholarship for his hard work.

It’s a day his father, Charles Schaekel, had worried would never come. Josiah dropped out of Greenfield-Central High School on his 18th birthday.

May 30, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Education and the Workforce Committee Member Luke Messer (R-IN) today introduced legislation in response to the challenges facing schools as the result of the president’s health care law. The Safeguarding Classrooms Hurt by ObamaCare’s Obligatory Levies (SCHOOL) Act (H.R.