Las Vegas, NV – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) denounced the Trump administration’s plan to roll back important programs that help Nevadans educate their children, get out from under crushing student debt, and gain access to new employment opportunities.
Trump’s proposed education budget would slash funding for the U.S. Department of Education by $9 billion—a 13% cut. Funding for job training programs would be reduced by over $1 billion—a 40% cut. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which erases debt owed by college graduates who have worked in the non-profit or government sectors for at least ten years, would be eliminated entirely. Also on the chopping block are programs that support arts education, provide services to children with special needs, train teachers, and promote low-income student achievement. If implemented, these budget cuts would have a direct and immediate impact on Nevada’s students.
“Trump’s proposed budget is a blow to parents who want to put their kids on the path to a better life,” said Cortez Masto. “We all know that education is the single most important driver of economic mobility. It is the ultimate hypocrisy for Trump to suggest that families need to ‘work harder’ to lift themselves out of poverty while, simultaneously, making plans to eliminate the very programs that allow families to do just that.”
“Trump’s budget proposal directly contradicts his campaign promise to help working people develop the skills they need to compete in today’s economy. Without job training programs, employers will continue struggling to hire qualified candidates while American workers fall further and further behind. This budget is not just terrible policy, it is an affront to our values as a nation. The good news is that it is going nowhere. I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to block these cuts and continue working to ensure that all Nevadans have access to high quality, affordable education,” she added.
If passed, Trump’s budget would devastate Nevada’s education system.
Specifically, it would:
- CUT almost $150 billion to higher education tools like grant aid, work-study, and federal student loans.
- CUT $11 billion from public education, including 22 education programs that provide resources for K-12 education.
- CUT $3.9 billion from the Pell Grant Program reserve for low income students.
- CUT $193 million from TRIO and GEAR UP, programs that help underprivileged kids succeed in their classes and prepare for college.
- ELIMINATE the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and reduce the Federal Work Study, leading to a loss of more than $2,301,407 for Nevada students.
- ELIMINATE the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program entirely. In 2016, this program provided $9,212,312 to Nevada school systems to support before school, afterschool, and summer learning programs.
- CUT $1.3 billion from the Employment and Training Administration, a program that provides job training and supports 2,506 active apprentices in Nevada.
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