Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

I am firm believer in the power of education, and making substantial improvements to our nation's education system must be a top priority.

We must improve the No Child Left Behind Act and the Education and Secondary School Act so that every child in the region and the rest of the nation has access to equal and excellent education.We also must make changes to ensure higher education is affordable and accessible for every child in America. The unfortunate reality is that skyrocketing college costs are putting a college education out of reach for many families. To help address this, I have supported legislation that prevented student loan interest rates from doubling, and locked in rates for new student loans to prevent rates from skyrocketing in the future.

This is a good step, but further action must be taken. Nearly 40 million Americans are struggling to repay student loans, putting off goals such as home ownership and saving for retirement. I support legislation that would allow student loan borrowers to refinance their loans at more affordable rates, saving them thousands of dollars.

Finally and importantly, we must invest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education today in order to produce the innovators and inventors of tomorrow. As co-chair of the Congressional High-Tech Caucus, I continue to advocate for all students to have equal access to STEM education. I have hosted a number of STEM panels at our local high schools, bringing together students and professionals in these fields, to help students get excited about the possibilities. I want to make sure that not only is our nation producing the STEM leaders of tomorrow, but that they are coming from the Sacramento region.

Source