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Being a public servant and a member of Congress positions me to advocate for equality. I believe that education is a necessary foundation of democracy used to strengthen and sustain our society. I am committed to providing every child with the opportunity to receive a quality education and creating a safe and engaging environment that encourages critical thinking. Education is a fundamental component of economic mobility in the United States. While structural barriers inhibiting some students from reaching their educational goals, I am devoted to fighting for and ensuring quality education for all. The United States needs a high-quality public-school system in order to maintain a high standard of education. Additionally, I believe teachers are the linchpin of not only an educational community, but any community. We must support teachers and the educational community. I firmly believe that Washington needs policies that support teachers and students in their classrooms. As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education, I was proud to champion more than $2 billion in grants to support our teachers and education professionals in the fiscal year 2020 education funding bill. With suicide as the second leading cause of death among people ages 10-35 and with suicide rates increasing by 70% in the last decade, I advocated for the creation of new programs in schools that increase the number of mental health and childhood development experts in schools. It is critical to our nation’s future that we provide children with an avenue to reach higher or vocational education early in their academic careers. In the education funding bill, I included language to direct the Department of Education to study and report to Congress ways to improve the effectiveness of current federal policy in supporting first-generation college students. This funding bill also supports increasing the Pell Grant Award and providing childcare for students with children. Quality education in the United States should not be a restrictive privilege in the United States, it is a right. A lack of education can lead to a lack of adequate and competent participation in the social spheres of life. I am a living representation of what the power of education can do to someone’s life and what it can do for others. View information on student financial aid.
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