Indian Schools and Tribal Colleges
I've fought to help our Indian schools and Tribal Colleges obtain the resources they need to be successful. I'm a member of the Senate Impact Aid Coalition, a group of Senators that works to help schools that have unique needs because they lie on or near federal lands or on reservations. I have consistently advocated for increased funding for Impact Aid schools, including more support for school construction. I've also worked together with my Senate colleagues to support our Tribal College infrastructure and increase funding to these institutions. I'm pleased to have been part of efforts that have allowed our seven Tribal Colleges to continue growing to meet the needs of our Tribal populations and surrounding communities.
I introduced a bill to increase funding the Johnson-O'Malley supplemental education grants that are the cornerstone of tribal student programs. My bill will focus on language learning and technical skills funding. I am working to develop strategies to build effective and meaningful educational programs for the future of Native American youth.