Education
As a member of the Congressional Rural Education Caucus, I firmly believe that we must give our schools and teachers the resources they need to do their job. We must be diligent in our pursuit to encourage learning, improve graduation rates, and ensure that our children have the 21st century skills to compete in the ever-growing global economy.
In that regard, I am fighting hard to rebuild America’s crumbling schools, pushing forward legislation that would address the backlog of deferred maintenance and repair in our elementary and secondary schools and helping to modernize classrooms with new science and computer labs and upgraded technology infrastructure.
Likewise, I am taking a lead role in advocating legislation that would promote literacy and help reduce high school dropout rates. I also believe that we must invest in early childhood programs like Head Start, ensuring that young children, regardless of economic circumstances, have an opportunity to reach their full potential.
I have consistently advocated legislation to expand access to affordable higher education, supporting bills to lower costs and expand repayment options for students. Most recently, I have cosponsored legislation that would permanently reduce the interest rate for Federal Direct Stafford Loans, easing the financial burden of student loan interest for students and their families.
There are plenty of needs in our southern West Virginia communities, colleges, and universities that merit the attention of Congress, and I remain committed to and focused on addressing those needs. I am an avid supporter of university research projects at West Virginia’s colleges and universities, promoting advances in academic fields that is leading to new technologies and medical knowledge.
I am fighting hard for our schools, teachers, and children – and, it is a quite a fight in this Congress – with some determined to roll back investments that will undoubtedly leave our children at a disadvantage when it comes to finding a high-paying job. While trimming our budget as a nation, we also must find ways to make investments in education, and especially programs that promote careers in the sciences, math, engineering, and technology, which will diversify our economy and bring new jobs to our region.