HELP Committee Votes to Advance Education Secretary Nominee Dr. Miguel Cardona

Dr. Cardona advanced out of committee by a bipartisan vote of 17-5 

Senator Murray: “Dr. Cardona is a proven, collaborative leader, a champion for public schools, and an excellent choice to lead the Department of Education through the challenges ahead.”

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee advanced the nomination of Dr. Miguel Cardona to be the Secretary of Education to the full Senate by a bipartisan vote of 17-5. Senator Patty Murray, Chair of the HELP Committee, reiterated her strong support for Dr. Cardona, noting that his experience and background make him the right choice to help get students safely back in the classroom for in-person instruction, address learning loss due to COVID, ensure every student has access to a high quality public education, make higher education more affordable and reduce the burden of student debt, and address long-standing racial inequities in our education system.

“Last week the Committee had the opportunity to hear from both Dr. Cardona and Mayor Walsh,” said Senator Murray at the mark-up. “And both proved what was already clear from their past experience—they are well qualified for these roles and ready to work with Congress.”

Senator Murray held a confirmation hearing for Dr. Cardona on February 3. During the hearing, Senator Murray stressed that unlike the former Secretary of Education, Dr. Cardona has classroom experience and is a life-long champion of public education who is ready to hit the ground on day one to ensure students can recover from this crisis. She also noted that throughout his career, Dr. Cardona has worked to ensure every student can reach their full potential, no matter the language they speak, or their zip code, income, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

At the hearing, she stressed that, “Dr. Cardona is a proven, collaborative leader, a champion for public schools, and an excellent choice to lead the Department of Education through the challenges ahead.”

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