Competitiveness

 As the first in my family to graduate from college, I know first hand the value and importance of a good education. It is the doorway to success and a critical piece to making our country more competitive in a global economy. I am committed to ensuring students have every opportunity possible to gain access to quality education.

Providing quality education is critical to increasing America’s competitiveness and creating a skilled, 21st century workforce. To meet the demands of an increasingly advanced, global market we must better train and equip our nation’s workforce.  In order to grow the economy, we need to work with schools and businesses to ensure students receive the necessary skills they will need to be successful.

Accomplishments:

• Supported the Higher Education Opportunity Act (H.R. 4137) which contained many of the priorities I’ve been fighting for since coming to Congress, including:
  • Increases scholarships for students studying math, science, engineering and computer science as well as encouraging innovative programs for teaching foreign language;
  • Allows adjunct content specialists in schools, letting school districts recruit mid-career professionals with experience in math, science and critical foreign languages so those qualified professionals can take time out of their career, enter the classroom and share their real world experience;
  • Makes college more affordable for Eastern Washington students by funding for the Perkins Loan program, which provides approximately $8.7 million for Eastern Washington colleges and universities each year;
  • Cracks down on fraudulent diploma mills by increasing transparency to give consumers more information allow the Secretary of Education to continue her efforts to shut down fraudulent diploma mills
• Member of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Caucus and the Career and Technical Education Caucus
• Signed the National School Board “Pledge to America’s School Children” which promises to fully fund IDEA and to improve No Child Left Behind