Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5363, the FUTURE Act. I thank all the Members of Congress, the Members of the Senate, the educational institutions, and the advocates who helped shepherd this legislation. Under the FUTURE Act, MSIs will permanently receive the $255 million they need for the next 10 years. Without this funding, schools would miss out on funding for STEM programs, academic counseling, and financial support for students in need. This funding can be the difference between millions of students being able to afford college or attend college at all. This funding provides many students of color with the only opportunity they have ever had to enter fields where they are so often sorely underrepresented. We must support these critical efforts by MSIs to help students complete their college degrees and diversify STEM careers. Today, many students continue to leave STEM fields while in college, especially minority students. About 37 percent of Latino STEM students and 40 percent of Black STEM students will switch majors during college, compared to 29 percent of White STEM students. About 20 percent of Latino students and 26 percent of Black students will drop out before completing their STEM degrees. By providing schools with a means to support their students, we can prevent these trends from continuing and help diversify all fields of study. It will help dismantle the lingering discrimination found in some career fields that these folks want to pursue.…”