Education

All children deserve to have access to a quality education. It is essential to ensure that the next generation is equipped with the tools to become whatever they aspire to be. Our country must not fall behind in the cutting-edge industries that make our nation so special. We can shepherd these projects and the American economy into the future by investing in our educational–from preschool to high school and beyond.

The Republican budget and H.R. 1, the One Big Ugly Bill, include grave funding cuts for the Department of Education, as well as our district’s public schools, special education opportunities, loan services, and food assistance programs. 

Soon after the inauguration, the Trump administration rescinded $418 million in federal funds already awarded to the Maryland Department of Education. Additionally, as a result of H.R. 1’s tax advantages for private education and reductions in Title I funding for 107 schools in Prince George’s County, over 80,000 students in the county risk seeing reduced investment over the next 10 years, and 43,000 high-need students are at risk of underfunded classrooms. As is too often the case, it will be minorities and the very poor who suffer most under Republican’s rogue actions. These funding cuts, alongside repeated threats to shutter the Department of Education, prove that the Administration has no interest in investing in the success of our next generation.

Securing a good education is a matter of right for every child, no matter their zip code. The earlier children start learning, the better. Early education promotes childhood development, often a determinant of health for the rest of someone’s life. In Maryland, we understand that reaching and teaching kids early is critical to setting them on the right path. Twenty years ago, when we enacted the Excellence in Public Schools Act, requiring local boards of education to provide at least a half-day of prekindergarten to low-income families, attendance in early education rose 40% by 2011. Investing in early education not only meets the growing demand but also enriches the lives of our families, laying a strong foundation for a brighter future. As your Representative, I will fight for Congress to do more to invest in our kids and their futures at the national level.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Food Insecurity

In Maryland's Fourth Congressional District, there are over 90,000 children and adults experiencing hunger, and over 35,000 households rely on SNAP to get by. Children’s lack of access to proper nutrition can can cause lifelong problems for one of our most vulnerable populations. H.R. 1 included provisions that require SNAP recipients undergo eligibility checks every six months and repeatedly prove that they are meeting the 80 hour/month work requirements. With these bureaucratic roadblocks, nearly 8,000 families on SNAP in Maryland’s Fourth District will lose coverage. House Republicans and the Trump Administration have chosen to take food away from the needy to pay for their billionaire friends’ tax breaks. But I will continue to fight for my constituents’ right to put nutricious food on the table.

In the 118th Congress, I was a proud cosponsor of the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act of 2023, the Improving Access to Nutrition Act of 2023, and the Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2023, because these critical nutrition programs save lives. Today, I will continue to champion legislation to end food insecurity once and for all and stand firmly in defense of SNAP, food banks, and federal food assistance programs.

Pell Grants and Student Loans

H.R. 1, the One Big Ugly Bill, not only impacts students in the K–12 school system, but also prevents students in Maryland’s Fourth District from accessing higher education by significantly changing Pell Grant eligibility and student loan availability. Under H.R. 1, Republicans have reworked the standards for Pell Grant recipients to disqualify thousands of low- to middle-income students, even if their income falls within eligibility ranges. In Prince George’s County, 12,000 low-income students will see reduced or eliminated Pell Grants each year.

In addition to restricting Pell Grant eligibility, the bill also impacts student loan availability. It terminates Grad PLUS Loans after July 1, 2026, and caps Parent PLUS Loans at $20,000 per student per year with a $100,00 lifetime borrowing limit. Grad PLUS Loans are federal student loans that allow graduate and professional students to cover tuition, books, and other expenses related to their degree. Parent PLUS Loans provide similar financial assistance to parents of undergraduate students. Ending these loan programs threaten access to higher education for over 18,000 students at higher education institutions within Maryland’s Fourth district. H.R. 1 will create an affordability crisis, forcing students to delay or abandon the pursuit of higher education. I will continue to work with House Democrats to reverse these provisions and expand–not limit–our children’s access to a college education.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Over the past months, Republicans have also waged a war on diversity initiatives, bullying universities and public schools to comply with their political agenda. These actions are misguided and unconstitutional.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), for example, held Verizon’s multi-billion dollar acquisition of Frontier hostage until Verizon agreed to end all DEI policies, despite there being no evidence of Verizon employees filing complaints about facing discrimination from such policies. When I questioned FCC Chairman Brendan Carr about what legal rationale his team used to determine that Verizon must end its DEI policies, he could not give me a straight answer. Discrimination based on race, gender, or religion has no place in our society – but neither do baseless accusations. Real accountability requires real evidence.

Higher education has also been a battle ground for the Trump administration to force our nation’s institutions to bend to his rogue MAGA agenda. Colleges and universities are our nations crown jewels. They are the forefront for American innovation and scientific research, while fostering a citizenry that can think critically and make our world a better place. Since the founding of our nation, civil rights leaders have fought for institutions of higher education to be accessible and reflect America’s diversity. The Supreme Court’s overturning of Affirmative Action and the Trump administration’s racist attacks against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives – including threats to funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the Divine Nine – take our nation backwards. As the Congressman for Maryland’s Fourth District, I will always fight for colleges and universities to be independent, diverse, and safe harbors for freedom of speech.

Last Congress, I was a proud cosponsor of H.R. 3444, the Strength in Diversity Act of 2023, to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive strategies to address the effects of racial isolation or concentrated poverty by increasing diversity in schools. I also proudly cosponsored H.R. 844, the Black History is American History Act. The President of the United States should never be afraid of American history. Knowing our history makes us stronger because knowledge is power. That power–the power of the truth–belongs to all Americans.

Relevant Legislation

I am proud to have either sponsored or co-sponsored the following legislation and I will work tirelessly towards passing this legislation in the 119th Congress.

H.R. 844, the Black History is American History Act, requires entities like higher education institutions to include Black history in their teaching of American history to be eligible for certain grants administered by the Department of Education.

H.R. 3281, to prohibit the reduction, elimination, or suspension of funding for land-grant colleges and universities.

Community Engagement and Public Education

Securing a good education is a matter of right for every child, no matter their zip code or disabilities. That is why I:

• Organized a Youth Advisory Board to bring together young minds from Maryland’s Fourth District to create a dialogue on legislative issues effecting the next generation.
• Teamed up with Prince George's County Public Schools to host an Apprenticeship Fair in November. We brought employers and students together to promote apprenticeship opportunities with organizations such as NASA Goddard, Per Scholas, IUOE Local 99 at Crossland High School.
• Hosted then Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona at Crossland High School to highlight and promote the University of Maryland’s Council for Innovation Promotion roundtable to discuss
• Brought astronaut Kjell Lindgren to DuVAL High School to share with the students about the importance of STEM Education in collaboration with NASA.

We should be providing our local school districts with the resources they need to support their infrastructure, hire more teachers, and pay those teachers better. I will continue to fight to properly fund school systems in underserved communities and improve education opportunities for all.