Senate Judiciary Committee Unanimously Supports America’s Students
Passes STEM Education Amendment to Immigration Bill
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) commends the leadership of Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) in passing an amendment today in the Senate Judiciary Committee to the pending immigration package which would improve STEM education for American students.
We owe it to American students—especially those from underserved communities—to do whatever we can to help them seize opportunities in science and engineering professions. This amendment takes a serious step towards fulfilling this obligation to our children. We are grateful to Senators Coons, Klobuchar, and Hatch for standing up for the dreams of children across the country.
The passed amendment would direct between $100 and $150 million in additional funding to Department of Education programs to help states boost educational standards, aid in teacher recruitment, and provide additional assistance to community colleges and minority serving institutions of higher education.
In a recent column appearing in The Hill, DFER Legislative Director Domenic Giandomenico encouraged Congress to strengthen their commitment to advancing STEM education. He proposed they enhance language in the pending immigration legislation to ensure our schools, districts, and states have the resources necessary to make meaningful improvements to their STEM programs. The Coons-Klobuchar-Hatch amendment embodies many of the actions DFER recommended to help keep America’s workers competitive in the global economy.
While the amendment was approved unanimously, the broader immigration package still must also be voted upon by the entire Judiciary Committee and the full Senate. The U.S. House of Representatives must also come to an agreement on the bill before it is sent to President Obama to be signed into law.
Democrats for Education Reform looks forward to working with Congress to ensure that these policies are maintained throughout the legislative process as it continues in the months to come.