Education and Workforce Development

Education: Achieving and maintaining the highest standards in American education is key to our national competitiveness and to the success of individual Americans.

The United States is home to educational opportunities which have no equal throughout the world. Today's youth must not lose sight of the importance of a good education and should be encouraged to exercise the determination and perseverance required to make the most of the opportunities before them.

As a parent, grandparent and lifelong educator, I understand how important it is for North Carolinians to know that local teachers have the tools they need to help our children reach their potential. Education is best when state and local education agencies are free to educate our children without dictates from the federal government. 

Parents know their children best and should always be included in decisions regarding their children. During the 119^th Congress, I supported H.R. 2616, the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, which ensures parents remain central in their children’s lives, particularly when it comes to sensitive decisions made at school. Additionally, during the 118^th Congress, the House passed H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act, with my support. This bill requires local educational agencies to make available information to parents at no cost.  Parents need to know what changes schools make that will impact their children. 

Workforce Development: A strong workforce development system is vital to strengthening our economy and providing economic opportunity for more Americans. However, our workforce system has not kept pace with today’s economy or rapid technological change. 

To help address these shortcomings, I introduced H.R. 8102, the Workforce Investments Accountability Act, which focuses on a simple idea: If we are investing billions of dollars in workforce programs, we should know whether they are actually helping people get jobs, increase their earnings, and stay employed. The bill will boost transparency and help ensure that decisions are driven by data, not assumptions, and that programs are continuously improving based on what works.

House Republicans also passed H.R. 1 to help meet the demand for high-skilled workers. Among other provisions, the bill established the Workforce Pell program, which extends Pell Grant eligibility to programs that are eight to 15 weeks in length. This program will produce real results, particularly in North Carolina, which recently became the fifth state in the nation to receive program approvals and will prepare students for careers as firefighters, paramedics, welders, and more. 

Postsecondary Education: From personal experience, I know that paying for college is hard work. The vast majority of American households are feeling that pressure as tuition and fees increase.

The need for solutions to help ease the challenge of college affordability is especially acute in today’s economy. So many recent graduates took out loans with an expectation that they would be able to find a job to pay off their debt, only now many find themselves struggling with un- or underemployment.

Across the country, collective student loan debt has reached astronomical levels – the pursuits of students in postsecondary education have been undercut as a direct result. Without question, the root cause of this problem is the inflated cost of obtaining a college degree, and there’s considerable room for reforms.

To fix these problems, I introduced H.R. 6951, the College Cost Reduction Act, in the 118^th Congress. The bill ensures prospective students and their families have access to clear, accessible, and personalized information about college costs and potential returns on their investment. The legislation also holds institutions financially accountable for offering overpriced programs that leave students burdened with unaffordable debt. Many of these provisions were ultimately incorporated into H.R. 1, which was signed into law in 2025.

Americans deserve a postsecondary education system that is affordable and prepares them for the workforce, and I will continue my work on behalf of students and families to reform our nation’s postsecondary education system.