U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Questions Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at Hearing on Education Budget

Senator Baldwin pressed Secretary DeVos on budget cuts to career and technical education and college affordability 

VIDEO: Watch Senator Baldwin question Secretary DeVos

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today questioned Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the Trump-DeVos education budget.

Senator Baldwin, a member of the Senate Appropriations and Education Committees, challenged Secretary DeVos on how the proposed Department of Education budget cuts support for career and technical education and college affordability.

“The people of Wisconsin deserve answers from Secretary DeVos about why the Trump-DeVos education budget slashes career and technical education grants and makes the student debt crisis even worse. Unfortunately, Secretary DeVos today failed to address my concerns about these drastic cuts to education.” Senator Baldwin. “I’ll continue my fight to make higher education more affordable and promote workforce readiness so students can have the tools they need to succeed and help grow our economy. I believe the Department of Education should do the same.”

Watch video of Senator Baldwin’s questioning of Secretary DeVos at today’s hearing here.

As a co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Career and Technical Education Caucus, Senator Baldwin has made workforce readiness and job training top priorities. In Wisconsin, the education and business communities have expressed strong support for career and technical education to develop a high-skilled workforce for in-demand fields and drive stronger economic growth. However, the Trump-DeVos education budget cuts grant funding to local school districts for career and technical education programs. The Trump-DeVos budget also cuts job training and adult education grants to states.

Senator Baldwin has been a champion for college affordability and taking on the national student loan debt crisis. The total amount of student debt in the United States has tripled in the past decade and now stands at more than $1.4 trillion. This debt crisis is holding back an entire generation and creating a drag on economic growth for Wisconsin. The Trump-DeVos education budget makes drastic cuts to multiple college affordability programs, including cutting federal work-study programs, eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and cutting the Perkins Loan Program that helps families afford higher education.