Baldwin: We need to focus on the workforce. We need to have multiple pathways to get a great paying job. Caring for our seniors. I believe in apprenticeships. I believe in the programs that are starting nursing programs in
high school and then creating a debt-free path to getting a higher degree. There's a lot we can do and there's a lot that has already been advanced into congress to do just that.
Hovde: The problem is we have a lot of people out of the workforce today. We've got to get more people back into the workforce. That's an important part. A lot of nursing homeowners are struggling with the massive amounts of regulations that
they are also dealing with Senator Baldwin and politicians that continue to heap on them. So we have to take a private-sector approach to try to drive more employment into that sector.
Urges funding to help at-risk students' access to education
Senator Baldwin joined 40 senators in pressing congressional leadership to include in the upcoming coronavirus relief package significant funding for the Federal TRIO Programs, which are integral to supporting vulnerable students.
The letter comes as the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis continues to exacerbate inequities in education. "Low-income students, students with disabilities, first-generation students, youth who are homeless, have limited
English proficiency, and who are in foster care, students in rural communities, and military veterans face greater obstacles to their learning experiences and are often encountering a more substantial impact from COVID-19 . These students are at risk
of permanently losing a chance to pursue higher levels of education. A significant increase in overall program capacity would allow significantly more vulnerable students to receive support that is critical to their success and to the economy's revival."
Leah Vukmir (R): Yes. "I want schools competing for enrollment."
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Senate race
, Oct 9, 2018
Refinance student loans at lower rates
Q: Refinance student loans at lower rates, paid for by increasing taxes on high earners?
Tammy Baldwin (D): Yes. Voted for 2017 bill to do this. Also expand Pell grants.
Leah Vukmir (R): No. "We have to get the federal government out of the business of loans."
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Senate race
, Oct 9, 2018
Reduce class size to 18 children in grades 1 to 3.
Baldwin co-sponsored an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act:
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a grants program to:
recruit, train, and hire 100,000 additional teachers over a seven-year period ;
reduce class sizes nationally, in grades one through three, to an average of 18 students per classroom; and
improve teaching in the early grades so that all students can learn to read independently and well by the end of the third grade.
Source: House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HR1036 on Mar 14, 2001
Rated 92% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes.
Baldwin scores 92% by the NEA on public education issues
The National Education Association has a long, proud history as the nation`s leading organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. Founded in 1857 `to elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching and to promote the cause of popular education in the United States,` the NEA has remained constant in its commitment to its original mission as evidenced by the current mission statement:
To fulfill the promise of a democratic society, the National Education Association shall promote the cause of quality public education and advance the profession of education; expand the rights and further the interest of educational employees; and advocate human, civil, and economic rights for all.
In pursuing its mission, the NEA has determined that it will focus the energy and resources of its 2.7 million members toward the `promotion of public confidence in public education.`
The ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
Baldwin opposes the CC Voters Guide question on vouchers
Christian Coalition publishes a number of special voter educational materials including the Christian Coalition Voter Guides, which provide voters with critical information about where candidates stand on important faith and family issues.
The Christian Coalition Voters Guide summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Vouchers that allow parents to choose private school for their children"
Source: Christian Coalition Voter Guide 12-CC-q7 on Oct 31, 2012
Sponsored extending subsidized federal student loan rates until 2015.
Congressional Summary:Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans to loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2015. Replaces the [termination date of] 2013 with 2015.
Proponent`s argument for bill:(US PIRG press release): The Student Loan Affordability Act keeps interest rates affordable for students over the next two years. If Congress fails to act by July 1, interest rates on federal Subsidized Stafford Loans will double from 3.4% to 6.8%. That would hike the cost of college by $1,000 per student, per loan, for over 7 million students across the country. The bill pays for extending the current interest rates through 2015 by closing three non-education tax loopholes.
Opponent`s argument against bill:(Rep. Tom Cotton, R-AR): Unfortunately, too many students today struggle for years to repay their loans because Washington politicians dictate student-loan rates and end up hurting students and taxpayers alike. It`s causing tuition costs to skyrocket, leaving students buried in debt, often without jobs, and forced to delay buying a home and starting a family. As students struggle to repay their loans--regardless of the interest rate--taxpayers are on the hook for a $100 billion bailout--a burden hard-working Arkansans shouldn`t have to bear. A better path is to let Arkansas`s hometown banks work with students and families to finance higher education, just as they do with homes, farms, businesses, and other loans. I`m committed to bringing affordable higher education to every Arkansan and ending the federal-government monopoly on the student-lending business.
Baldwin sponsored making two years of community college free
Excerpts from press release from Tammy Baldwin, Senate sponsor: The America`s College Promise Act makes two years of community college free by:
Providing a federal match of $3 for every $1 invested by the state to waive community college tuition and fees for eligible students;
Ensuring that programs offer academic credits which are fully transferable to four-year institutions in their state;
Establishing a new grant program to provide pathways to success at minority-serving institutions by helping them cover a significant portion of tuition and fees for the first two years of attendance for low-income students.
Community, technical, and tribal colleges enroll 40% of all college students today. Community colleges are uniquely positioned to partner with employers to create tailored training programs to meet economic needs within their communities such as nursing and advanced manufacturing.
Opposing argument: (Cato Institute, `College
Courtesy of the Taxpayer? No Thanks,` Jan. 9, 2015): One look at either community college outcomes or labor market outlooks reveals free college to be educational folly. Community college completion rates are atrocious: a mere 19.5% of community college students complete their programs. Meanwhile, the for-profit sector has an almost 63% completion rate. And [about 70%] of the new job categories in coming years will require a high school diploma or less.
Opposing argument: (Heritage Foundation, `Free Community College Is a Bad Deal`, July 15, 2016): Free college proposals would subject community colleges to the same types of subsidies-induced inflation endemic at four-year institutions. And low-income students already have access to federal Pell Grants, which can cover the bulk of community college tuition. By contrast, a more open market of alternative schooling models, such as online or vocational education programs, could better tailor degrees at a lower cost.
Source: America's College Promise Act 15-S1716 on Jul 8, 2015
Recruit women & minorities for STEM teaching.
Baldwin co-sponsored S2710 & HR4803
Grant program to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields. Congress finds the following:
STEM education at the undergraduate level is vital to developing a workforce that will allow the US to remain the leader in the 21st century global economy.
Women and minorities comprise over half of the US workforce but only make up 26% of STEM workers.
Approximately 52% of women and minorities in STEM fields quit their jobs about 10 years into their careers.
It is important for gender equality to increase the retention of women in STEM fields, as women in STEM careers earn 33% more than those in non-STEM jobs, and have a smaller wage gap relative to men.
The US should address the need to increase the number of individuals from underrepresented minority segments of the population who work in engineering.
Women and underrepresented minorities leave the STEM fields at higher rates than their counterparts, leading to a need to develop resources to retain these groups in the STEM fields.
An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use such grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities designed to increase the participation of women or minorities underrepresented in science and engineering:
Online workshops.
2) Mentoring programs that partner STEM professionals with students.
Internships for undergraduate and graduate students in the STEM fields.
Conducting outreach programs that provide elementary school and secondary school students with opportunities to increase their exposure to STEM fields.
Programs to increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty.
Source: Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act 16-S2710 on Mar 17, 2016
Supported funding for teacher training & other initiatives.
Baldwin adopted the Women's Caucus policy agenda:
The teams of the Women�s Caucus are charged with advancing action on their designated issues in a bipartisan manner. Legislation from Team 4. EDUCATION
HR455�Teacher Technology Training Act of 1999�A bill to provide grants to local education agencies to provide integrated classroom-related computer training for elementary and secondary school teachers. (Capps)
HR645�Teacher Technology Training Act of 1999�A bill to require states to incorporate technology requirements in teacher training content and performance standards. (Morella)
HR1307�After-School Children�s Education (ACE) Act�A bill to provide for grants, a national clearinghouse of information and a GAO report on the quality and availability of after school programs. (Castle)
HR1129�A bill to remove the 60 month limitation for taking a tax deduction of student loan interest. (Mink)
HR1456�A bill to improve the National Writing Project program. (Miller-CA)
HR637�Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 1999�A bill to make improvements and expand the gifted and talented program. (Gallegly)
The Caucus has also identified the following as priority areas:
School Construction Funding
Alternative Teacher Certification
School Violence
Support of Title I of ESEA
Gender Equity in Education
School Counselors
Source: Women's Caucus Agenda-106th Congress 99-WC7 on Jul 15, 1999