Ensuring that every child in America receives a great education is one of my top priorities. As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, I am privileged to be on the frontlines of reforming education at the federal level. While the federal government does have an impact on education throughout the country, I believe the responsibility lies with the local and state government. With that in mind, most of my priorities on improving education here in Washington, D.C., are focused on removing the federal government’s grip on local schools and empowering parents and teachers to make decisions that are the best fit for their children’s individual needs in their local school districts.
When it comes to higher education, we are in dire need of reforms that simplify the student aid process, robust improvements to increasing and improving financial literacy among student loan borrowers, the ability to hold institutions accountable for degree programs with poor outcomes and low loan repayment rates and improved strategies for providing students with the information necessary to make informed decisions on where they can attend school, in order to ensure that students get the best bang for their buck. I have also shown my ability to reach across the aisle and have cosponsored bills with my Democrat friends to allow students to refinance their school loans.
We also cannot forget about career and technical education. Over the past several years, companies ranging from small businesses to large multinational corporations have experienced a significant skilled labor shortage. As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, and representative for the Congressional district with more manufacturing jobs than any other, I have made it my priority to ensure that our children have access to a high quality education, which does not always mean a four-year college degree. By supporting job training programs, apprenticeships and career and technical education, we are increasing opportunities for young Wisconsinites to join high demand jobs that employers are eager to fill.
