Press Releases

On Friday, September 10, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson voted to advance the portion of the Build Back Better Act that falls under the jurisdiction of the Education and Labor Committee. The historic package invests $761 billion to lower the cost of childcare, expand access to quality education, and help Americans secure good-paying jobs.

Congresswoman Wilson, who chairs the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment, advocated for the inclusion of key proposals. On September 4, she led a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott calling for investments to ensure that all students have access to well-prepared and effective teachers and school leaders. The letter requested $9 billion in funding over ten years for Department of Education programs, including the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant, Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part D's personnel preparation program, and the TEACH Grant.

Congresswoman Wilson also wrote to Speaker Pelosi to encourage the inclusion of universal, high-quality preschool for all three- and four-year-olds; two years of free community college for all Americans in addition to two years of subsidized tuition for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other minority-serving institutions; and a $1,875 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award.

"Taken together, these investments promise to dramatically transform who can attain a quality education and at what cost," reads the letter. "Critically, lower-income students must be able to take advantage of both a free community college education and two years of subsidized tuition at a qualifying four-year institution. Upon completion of the two years of community college, students would be eligible to complete their junior and senior years leading to a degree at an HBCU, TCU, or MSI."

The legislation advanced by the Education and Labor Committee includes a $1.1 billion investment in teacher preparation, including first-time funding for the Hawkins Centers of Excellence program, which supports teacher preparation at HBCUs and other MSIs. It also includes a $111 billion investment in higher education, which provides for a $500 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award, two years of tuition-free community college, and targeted investments in HBCUs, TCUs, and other MSIs. Additionally, the bill invests $450 billion in lowering the cost of childcare for working families and providing universal access to free, high-quality preschool.

"The proposed investments in children, students, workers, and families would ensure that low- and middle-income Americans are at the heart of our economic recovery," said Rep. Wilson during the markup. "While I support this legislation, it is important to acknowledge that it is far from perfect. I have called for a larger increase to the maximum Pell Grant; greater financial support for students attending HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and more robust funding for teacher preparation. These shortcomings also underscore why we cannot further cut any funding for the Build Back Better Act. Even with the robust investments proposed here, we are still short changing vital programs. I look forward to advancing this historic package and continuing to work with my colleagues on this committee to support our nation's families."

The full markup can be viewed here.