May 15, 2019

Accomplishments For Our Students

Working For Students

It is an honor and a privilege to represent California’s 46th Congressional District in Congress. I came to Washington, DC to make your voices heard and work in a bipartisan manner. I believe a strong education sets up an individual for success and the entire community benefits when our youth and young adults succeed.  I ran to serve you, and I am proud to report the following accomplishments in education policy.

  • Helping students escape student loan debt: I introduced legislation (H.R. 6588, Student Loan Bankruptcy Act of 2018), which would allow individuals to have their student loan debt forgiven five years after filing bankruptcy. I also supported several pieces of legislation aimed at helping individuals payfor higher education, such as H.R. 2482, the Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2017; H.R. 2477, the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act; and H.R. 2084, the Year-Round Pell Grant Restoration Act. 
  • Making quality education accessible to everyone: I have supported bills that protect the right to education of students with disabilities (H.R. 2902, IDEA Full Funding Act), DACA recipients (H.R. 3440, Dream Act of 2017), and immigrants who have not yet gained legal status (H.R. 3591, American Hope Act of 2017).  I have supported grants to low-income students for their higher education and funding for Head Start programs. I am also a member of the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Caucus because I believe in the importance of ensuring our Hispanic communities have access to quality higher education. 
  • Fighting to make our schools a safer: I supported legislation (H.R. 1957, Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2017), which requires schools to establish policies to discourage bullying and harassment. I also supported legislation (H.R. 4811, Securing Our Schools Act of 2018) to provide funding for schools to have devices that will allow for immediate communication with officials in the case of an emergency.
  • Providing veterans with a strong education to successfully enter the workforce. I introduced legislation (H.R. 5049, Facilitating Veterans’ Education Act), which would document a servicemember’s training and education so that they may apply this experience to their post-service life. I also supported legislation to provide grants for Veteran Student Centers at higher education institutions, helping them with their education and beyond. 
  • Promoting STEM Education: I introduced a resolution in support of preparing students for careers in cybersecurity. I also supported legislation (H.R. 5136, GIRLS STEM Act) that would provide grants for schools to encourage female students to study science, math, engineering and technology (STEM). Additionally, I introduced an amendment to promote the recruitment of minority, STEM-focused students by the Department of Defense.