Education

My grandfather never graduated from middle school, but he believed in the power of education and insisted on it for my mother. While most children spent their free hours on a playground, starting at age 12, my father spent his free time working so he could afford to attend college—and eventually medical school.

This is the American dream, and it is being played out in cities and towns across the country every day. We must protect this dream by investing in our children’s future and preparing them to compete in the global market. However, the federal role, while important, should be limited. Decisions on how to educate our children are best left to state and local officials—and most importantly—parents.

Another critical issue facing our nation’s education system is the rising cost of higher education. As Congress debates the best way to reduce the cost of higher education, we will continue to help students by increasing transparency to guarantee parents and students have the best possible information when making decisions about higher education.

The House of Representatives passed bills to expand and modernize the popular 529 savings accounts to make it easier for families to use tax credits to make college more affordable.