Senator Murray: “I believe prioritizing our kids, and making sure every one of them receives a great public education and can pursue higher education—is one of the best decisions we can make, every time.”
***WATCH: SENATOR MURRAY’S OPENING REMARKS***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS), led a hearing with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on President Biden’s annual budget request for the Department of Education.
During the hearing, Senator Murray stressed the importance of delivering relief for student borrowers who’ve been burdened with unmanageable student debt, fixing the broken student loan system, and making college more affordable for students across the country. Senator Murray noted that the administration has taken important steps to deliver relief for borrowers, like forgiving the loans of over half a million borrowers cheated by Corinthian Colleges, but made clear she won’t be satisfied until the broken student loan system is fixed and the steps she’s laid out are adopted. She also highlighted how the President’s budget supports efforts she has championed to simplify the federal student aid application process and help students afford higher education by, among other things, working to double the maximum Pell Grant award.
“There’s one word that keeps coming up when I talk to people about our student loan system: broken,” said Senator Murray. “So I applaud the Biden Administration’s recent move to provide full debt relief to the over half a million students who were ripped off by Corinthian Colleges. And I know the Department is also moving on long-needed fixes to income-driven repayment plans and the public service loan forgiveness program—like I have been pushing for.”
“But I’m not content, and I won’t be until we finally have a system that actually works for students and borrowers,” added Senator Murray. “And that means finally seeing this Administration extend the current repayment pause until at least 2023 and provide immediate relief by forgiving some debt for all borrowers while working on creating a student loan system that provides real help—especially to those who need it most. And of course—we’ve got to address the root of this problem: higher education is just too expensive.”
Senator Murray also reiterated the need to continue addressing the learning loss this pandemic has caused for students across the country. Senator Murray helped secure $122 billion dollars in the American Rescue Plan to help schools reopen safely and address students’ academic, social, and emotional needs—and at Tuesday’s hearing, she asked Secretary Cardona about how he plans to strengthen and support schools’ efforts to address learning loss using the resources provided in the American Rescue Plan.
“Another enormous challenge for schools and students is the learning loss this pandemic has caused. Educators are working tirelessly to re-engage students, address their academic needs, and tackle the years of disrupted learning,” said Senator Murray. “But it’s not easy to get things on track in the wake of a pandemic—especially amid staffing shortages. And this work is all the more urgent for kids who were already facing the greatest barriers in education, only to face the greatest burdens of this pandemic as well …. The pandemic has been especially challenging for these kids, and we must invest in their success.”
At the hearing, Senator Murray also highlighted the importance of addressing the mental health crisis affecting kids across the country and reiterated the urgent need to lower the cost of child care for families by making a significant investment through reconciliation.
Senator Murray’s opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:
“Mr. Secretary, I know everyone on this Committee is focused on what we can do to protect our kids and educators in light of the tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Texas.
“These families are in my heart and the need for action is heavy on my mind.
“And of course, ten days before the mass shooting at a school in Texas, there was a mass shooting at grocery store in Buffalo.
“Last week there were several more, including one at a health center.
“And we’ve also seen mass shootings at movie theatres, concerts, and houses of worship.
“When mass shootings happen everywhere that isn’t a school problem—it’s a gun problem.
“So while there’s much to say about how we can protect our kids from gun violence, we cannot fix this by asking educators to be soldiers and bringing more guns into schools, we cannot fix it by turning classrooms into prisons or simply buying more metal detectors.
“We have to pass common sense gun safety reforms. There is no getting around it. Universal background checks. An assault weapons ban. Red flag laws.
“I am ready to work with any Republican to make any kind of meaningful change here—and I hope that after years of blocking progress they reverse course.
“Because as a mother, a grandmother, and a former preschool teacher, it is not hard for me to choose between guns and kids. And I don’t think that should be a hard choice for anybody.
“I believe prioritizing our kids, and making sure every one of them receives a great public education and can pursue higher education—is one of the best decisions we can make, every time. And I am constantly hearing from parents across Washington state who feel the same.
“It’s a belief that got me into politics, and it still drives my work every day.
“It’s why I pushed so hard in our recent bipartisan funding bill to make the largest increase in more than a decade to Title One funding for public schools, and to Pell Grants.
“It’s why I’m pleased this budget calls for even more resources to support students from preschool through college and career readiness, and to address inequities in education that harm so many students.
“And it’s why Democrats worked so hard in the American Rescue Plan to help schools get kids back in the classroom safely, and address students’ academic and mental health needs which were worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic—without a single Republican vote, by the way.
“The fact almost all schools are operating in person today is a clear testament to how useful those resources were.
‘But there’s more work ahead to address the challenges this pandemic has exposed and exacerbated for families—and kids especially.
“The child care crisis is a huge weight on families, businesses, and our entire economy, and I am continuing to push with everything I’ve got for an investment through reconciliation of the size and scope we need to fix this.
“If we do that, we can get parents—especially moms—back to work, put more money back in their pockets, and set our kids up for a brighter future.
“I’ve also heard from so many parents, educators, and students back home about the mental health challenges our kids are facing.
“And I’ve been making sure the Biden Administration hears from them too, from the student who joined me and Surgeon General Murthy to discuss these challenges earlier this year, to the mental health professionals that sat down with me and Secretary Becerra in Washington state a few weeks ago.
“We need to make sure our kids—and everyone in our communities—gets the help they need. That’s why I’m working to take action on youth mental health as part of a larger bipartisan package.
“Another enormous challenge for schools and students is the learning loss this pandemic has caused.
“Educators are working tirelessly to re-engage students, address their academic needs, and tackle the years of disrupted learning.
“But it’s not easy to get things on track in the wake of a pandemic—especially amid staffing shortages.
“And this work is all the more urgent for kids who were already facing the greatest barriers in education, only to face the greatest burdens of this pandemic as well.
“That includes students of color, students with disabilities, English learners, students from families with low incomes, and students experiencing homelessness.
“So Mr. Secretary, I’m pleased to see this budget provides a critical boost to our public education system, especially increasing the Title One program that serves over 60 percent of public schools in the U.S.
“It prioritizes support for students with disabilities, an issue where states and districts have for too long struggled to fill gaps in federal funding.
“And it increases support for the more than 5 million English Learners and youth, including immigrants.
“Mr. Secretary these are worthwhile investments—but there is room for improvement—particularly when it comes to helping students experiencing homelessness.
“The pandemic has been especially challenging for these kids, and we must invest in their success.
“We also need to address the crushing burden of student debt. There’s one word that keeps coming up when I talk to people about our student loan system: broken.
“So I applaud the Biden Administration’s recent move to provide full debt relief to the over half a million students who were ripped off by Corinthian Colleges.
“And I know the Department is also moving on long-needed fixes to income-driven repayment plans and the public service loan forgiveness program—like I have been pushing for.
“For too long these programs were mismanaged, and the previous Administration simply ignored struggling borrowers asking for help.
“I’m glad to see that change under President Biden—but I’m not content, and I won’t be until we finally have a system that actually works for students and borrowers.
“And that means finally seeing this Administration extend the current repayment pause until at least 2023 and provide immediate relief by forgiving some debt for all borrowers, while working on creating a student loan system that provides real help—especially to those who need it most.
“And of course—we’ve got to address the root of this problem: higher education is just too expensive.
“We’ve got to do everything we can to lower the cost of college, so I’m glad this budget supports efforts I’ve pushed for to simplify the federal student aid application process and expand eligibility for those with the greatest need, increases funding for TRIO and Retention and Completion Grants, and increases Pell Grant awards to put the program on a path to doubling the maximum award—a fitting tribute for the 50th anniversary of Pell this year.
“But cost is not the only barrier that prevents students from pursuing their higher education goals.
“Which is why working to make college more accessible means investing in Historically Black Colleges, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other Minority Serving Institutions as well.
“Mr. Secretary, I always say a budget is a statement of values. And this budget shows President Biden truly understands the value of ensuring every student in our country gets a high quality public education—that’s no surprise when we have an educator for our First Lady.
“But, unfortunately, that stands in sharp contrast to the statements we’ve seen from some Republicans like the Governor of Texas, who is planning to challenge the decades-old Supreme Court precedent establishing the right to a public education for all children—including undocumented students.
“That should be shocking and concerning to everyone.
“Public education is a foundation of our democracy—and no one should be playing politics with our kids’ futures.
“The last thing any kid needs is a politician making life harder for them because of where they are from, or who they are, or who they love.
“I’m focused on what matters most when it comes to education.
“And that’s not banning books, or punishing teachers for teaching history, or targeting gay and trans teachers and kids who just want to talk about what they did with their family over the weekend—or just be part of a team with their friends.
“It’s making sure every child in our country can get an excellent public education that prepares them to succeed in life—we’re talking the basics here.
“It’s also making sure our students are safe, from gun violence, from discrimination, from harassment and assault.
“And it’s making sure parents have more time to spend on the things they care about most, making it easier for them to be involved at their kids’ school.
“Look, I got my start in politics as a parent advocate. I organized thousands of moms and dads to save a preschool program, I served on my local school board, I know how valuable it is to have parents, involved.
“And I know that making sure parents can get involved in their kids’ education, starts with supporting families and delivering good-paying jobs so parents actually have the time to ask their kids about school; affordable child care and health care; and guaranteed paid family and medical leave.
“These investments will take a little stress off the shoulders of parents.
“And when mom and dad aren’t trying to figure out how to afford their kid’s insulin, they can spend more time helping them on their homework or just asking them how their day went.
“These are the issues parents and students back in Washington state are focused on, they’re the issues I’m focused on, and it’s good to see President Biden is focused on them too.
“And now I’ll turn it over to Senator Blunt for his remarks.”
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