Education
"If families and parents are ready to go back to work and they do not have access to child care, we are not going to solve our economic crisis. That is true for parents, for caregivers and especially for mothers," Bonamici told reporters on Tuesday, March 2. "This is a first step in stabilizing the child care system — and it is a good investment in our children and our future."
Oregon U.S. Democratic Rep. Suzanne Bonamici chairs the Civil Rights and Human Services subcommittee of the Education and Labor committee, in the House. "Some schools in NW Oregon have been able to reopen, but many have not," said Bonamici in a statement Friday. "We all want students and educators back in schools, but they need resources to make sure everyone is safe. This funding will help with PPE, cleaning supplies, ventilation and more.
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, who chairs the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services, said the money can be used to purchase personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and increase ventilation, among other things, in order to bolster in-person education during an age of illness. "Some schools in Northwest Oregon have been able to reopen, but many have not," said Bonamici, who represents much of the metro area's west side. "We all want students and educators back in schools, but they need resources to make sure everyone is safe."
Additionally, Bonamici's focus has been on the College Affordability Act in an attempt to close the existing equity gap. One component is increasing diversity within the education workforce. Nationally, students of color make up the majority of U.S. public schools while only 20% of teachers are persons of color, according to Bonamici. "The role of the federal government in education is about promoting equity and making sure those opportunities are there for everyone," she said. "Safeguarding and expanding those educational opportunities and improving outcomes for all students."