Senator Murray Applauds Landmark Investments in Build Back Better Framework to Get Students and Workers the Training and Education They Need to Succeed
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the landmark investments included in Democrats’ Build Back Better framework to ensure that students and workers across the country can get the education and workforce training they need to succeed in a 21st century economy.
The Build Back Better incudes a historic $20 billion to expand workforce training programs and help workers gain new skills and $30 billion in the Civilian Climate Corps, tackling the challenges of helping Americans get back to work and the climate crisis hand-in-hand. The framework also includes a $550 increase to the maximum Pell Grant for public and private non-profit institutions and expands financial aid eligibility to Dreamers who have DACA status. It includes a $10 billion investment in our nation’s minority-serving institutions (MSIs)—including Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs)—to improve institutional capacity, provide financial aid to students, and expand R&D infrastructure.
“Today, there are so many students and workers across the country who want the skills and education they need to be successful in our 21st century economy—but don’t have the means to get them. There are students who want to go to college but can’t afford it because of rising costs. There are HBCUs—which educate Black college students across the country—and other MSIs that don’t have the resources they need to support their communities. There are workers out of a job, who need training to get back on their feet. And on top of all that, there is an entire generation of students and workers who want to help this country address climate change—but want to be paid fairly, learn new skills, and have pathways to education and high-quality jobs while they do.
“To truly build back better, we owe these students and workers the opportunities and the resources they deserve. And that’s exactly what the Build Back Better framework will do. It will get people back to work, it will expand access to higher education, and it will create a landmark new Civilian Climate Corps that will give workers across the country a historic opportunity to help this country fight for a greener future—all while getting the training and skills they need to succeed. This isn’t just good for working families, it’s also good for economy, and our entire planet—and I’m fighting as hard as I can to get this across the finish line.”
To help students and workers succeed in the our modern economy, the Build Back Better framework:
- Invests a historic $20 billion in our workforce programs, to expand access to workforce training, career and technical education, career navigation services, online skills training, and employment services,
- Creates a landmark Civilian Climate Corps, which will help get Americans back to work conserving our public lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, and combatting climate change—while earning a fair income and learning new skills,
- Supports our nation’s HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal Colleges, and other minority-serving institutions, and their students, by providing a historic investment of $10 billion after decades and centuries of underinvestment, which will go towards building institutional capacity, providing financial aid, and improving research and development infrastructure,
- Expands college access, affordability, and success, by providing a $550 increase to the maximum Pell Grant to public and nonprofit institutions, expanding student aid eligibility to Dreamers with DACA status, providing maximum Pell Grants to families that receive means-tested benefits, and investing $500 million in evidence-based practices to improve student retention and completion.
- Invests over $600 million in our educator workforce, to address teacher shortages and improve the diversity of our nation’s educators and school leaders, including targeted investments in programs that train educators who serve students with disabilities.
Senator Murray has long pushed to support our nation’s workforce and higher education programs, including through increased investments in workforce training and education programs. She has also been a vocal supporter of climate priorities, including establishing a Civilian Climate Corps to create good paying jobs.
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