On the recordJuly 9, 2015
I rise to speak on amendment No. 2096. CTE is a core academic subject. I grew up working in my dad's iron- working and welding shop. I ran a school that taught kids to be carpenters and welders in Honduras many years ago, and what I learned is that high-quality technical education is an important part of the educational spectrum. We downgraded it for a number of years, but there is a renaissance now. What my amendment would do is it would go into the current Federal law and specify that career and technical education programs are core curricula. Originally, English, math, and science were. This bill broadens what is a core curriculum to include computer science and foreign languages. This amendment would make plain that high-quality career and technical education is a core academic subject. I wish to thank Senators Ayotte, Merkley, Scott, Baldwin, and Warner as cosponsor. I also thank the chairman and ranking member for bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor. This is commonsense and bipartisan. I hope it will pass. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California. Amendment No. 2087
