October 31, 2019

Trone Bills Pass Committee, Head to the Floor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Trone.Press@mail.house.gov

Trone Bills Pass Committee, Head to the Floor

Washington, DC – Today, Representative David Trone (MD-06) and members of the Education and Labor Committee passed the College Affordability Act (CAA) out of committee. The CAA is a comprehensive overhaul of the higher education system that would lower the cost of college, improve the quality of higher education by holding institutions accountable, and expand opportunity for students from all backgrounds.

The landmark legislation includes five bills led by Rep. Trone, including the Higher Education Mental Health Act of 2019 which was added as an amendment during the committee process and seeks to address the growing number of students in higher education with mental health concerns. Since Congressman Trone introduced the bill in July, more than 250 higher education presidents or their representatives have signed on to support the legislation.

All five Trone-led provisions included in the CAA are below:

“I heard directly from students, parents, and educators in my district that the higher education system costs too much and wasn’t putting students first,” said Rep. David Trone, member of the Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee. “This monumental piece of legislation combats these issues so students can focus on getting an education and a good paying job. I was happy to work with Chairman Scott to ensure five of my provisions were included in this bill, and I look forward to voting in favor of this legislation on the House floor.”

Trone spoke on the House floor about his support for legislation earlier this week. You can view the remarks here, and the text is below:

Madam Speaker:

I rise today in support of the College Affordability Act, a comprehensive overhaul of our higher education system that will lower the cost of the college and improve higher education for students of all backgrounds.

Because right now students are paying increasingly more for an education that’s giving them less.

I know that because I’ve heard it.

I’ve heard from constituents in my district that we need to do better when it comes to the rising cost of tuition and the overall quality of higher education.

That’s why I’m taking action.

Since coming to Congress I’ve worked closely with my colleagues in the Education and Labor Committee to lead four pieces of legislation that will be included in this act.

The legislation will expand educational opportunities for all individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, dedicate more resources to prevention and treatment of alcohol and substance abuse on college campuses, strengthen grants for teachers and school leaders around recruitment and retention, and establish a commission on mental health issues facing college students.

These measures as well as others are what make the College Affordability Act a down payment on our higher education system that makes sense.

I urge swift passage from my colleagues in the Committee today and I hope we can move this bill to the floor and the president’s desk even faster.

As my good friend Chairman Elijah Cummings said:

“Our children are messengers we send into the future we will never see.”

It’s time to invest in their future and give all Americans good, quality higher education that they deserve.

For a fact sheet on the College Affordability Act, click here.

For a title by title on the College Affordability Act, click here.

Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, where he has continuously fought for students, teachers, and educators. As the only member from Maryland on the Education and Labor Committee, Trone has made education a top priority, taking an education tour of the district in August and introducing multiple bills aimed at supporting an equitable education for students and supporting Maryland educators.

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