On the recordDecember 6, 2019
I am honored to represent the University of California at San Diego, which is one of the leading research universities in the Nation. As I have worked with my friends on the Education and Labor Committee to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, I have kept all the incredible students at UCSD in mind. I am especially proud of our work to improve access for graduate students and ease their financial burden. Graduate students are the backbone of research universities, teaching and mentoring undergraduates, performing groundbreaking research, and innovating the solutions for 21st century problems. Unfortunately, many of those same students have crippling student loan debt. That is why I am so glad that the College Affordability Act recreates the Federal Perkins Loan Program and strengthens the Pell Grant Program to better address the needs of our undergraduate and graduate students. While there is much more that we need to do to support students, I am proud to cosponsor the College Affordability Act and will continue to work with my colleagues to improve outcomes for our students. ____________________





