On April 28, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the House Appropriations Committee held its first hearing in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 funding cycle to examine the Department of Education’s FY 23 budget request, including testimony from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. During the hearing, several Members of Congress on the subcommittee highlighted the need for strong workforce investments, although the Perkins Basic State Grant was not a topic of discussion.
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) noted that millions of STEM jobs must be filled and that one way to help close the skills gap in computer science and STEM education could be through public-private partnerships. Rep. Fleischmann asked Secretary Cardona what the Biden Administration is doing to improve computer science curriculum and literacy.
Sec. Cardona highlighted the Administration’s proposed Career-Connected High Schools Initiative as one potential pathway. Rep. Fleischmann followed up with a call for bipartisan co-sponsors of
Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) and Sec. Cardona mentioned a recent visit to Henry Ford Community College in Michigan, where he observed students making career connections. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) celebrated the increase to TEACH grants provided in the budget request.
Two Members of Congress, Reps. Andy Harris (R-MD) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) each mentioned the stigma of learning a trade skill instead of attending a four-year institution - Rep. Harris discussed the shortage of auto mechanics, while Rep. Roybal-Allard expressed the need to fix the stigma of choosing work-based learning.
You can watch the full hearing at the link above.
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