Community college advocates on Tuesday got a legislative update and pep talk from a handful of House lawmakers before they visited with their congressional representatives in an effort to secure more funding for critical federal programs and to offer ways to improve those programs.
The timing was key as the House aims to vote Wednesday on legislation that would include fiscal year 2020 funding for education and job training programs.
Participants of the American Association of Community Colleges’ annual Advocates in Action meeting in Washington, D.C., met with Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut), chair of the House appropriations subcommittee that oversees education and job training, and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Oregon), who serves on the House Education and Labor Committee. The college leaders also heard from Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-Michigan), a proponent of better student outcomes data.