Senator Hassan Meets with Education Secretary Nominee

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, met virtually today with President Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted schools across the country, making it more difficult for schools to provide the high-quality education that all students deserve,” Senator Hassan said. “The next Secretary of Education must focus on helping all of our students get back to in-person learning and on track to succeed academically, as well as addressing students’ social and emotional needs. I was glad to meet with President Biden’s nominee for the position, Miguel Cardona, to hear his plans for how we can do that. We also spoke about the importance of taking bipartisan action to expand students’ access to career pathways and early college opportunities, hold predatory for-profit colleges accountable, and provide more support to at-risk students who may have fallen through the cracks during the pandemic. I am eager to partner with the Biden administration and members of both parties to provide additional support to educators and students across the country as we work to re-open schools and ensure that all students have the resources and support that they need to succeed.”

As a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Senator Hassan is working across the aisle to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education. The bipartisan government funding and COVID-19 relief package that Senator Hassan helped to negotiate and was recently signed into law included substantial education funding for states, K-12 schools, and institutions of higher education, including $259 million to New Hampshire. Additionally, last October, Senator Hassan introduced the bipartisan Fast Track To and Through College Act with Senator Todd Young (R-IN), which would create a grant program aimed at helping more students earn college credits while still in high school. Senator Hassan also recently successfully worked with Senator Susan Collins to reverse a Department of Education decision that jeopardized funding for nearly 200 rural, low-income school districts. Senator Hassan also teamed up with Senator Collins to introduce a bipartisan bill to help rural students reach their higher education goals and connect them with employment opportunities in their hometowns.

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