On Friday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “America Reports,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) said he has “a problem” with President Joe Biden’s student loan program because it ignores vocational programs while pushing a focus on four-year colleges and schools.
Co-host Gillian Turner asked, [relevant exchange begins around 4:15] “You said you’re disappointed that the Republican plan doesn’t include a provision that encourages Americans to attend vocational schools. And I’m wondering, if that’s a core tenet of the party’s platform ahead of the midterms, moving students away from a focus on four-year colleges and universities to vocational programs, why it is that the President just voluntarily decided to reimburse tens of millions of American students to the tune of billions of dollars for four-year colleges and universities? It seems at odds.”
Krishnamoorthi responded, “That’s a very good point. I actually have a problem based on that very concern. I’ve worked with my Republican colleagues repeatedly to expand options for skills-based and vocational education. And unfortunately, I feel that was ignored in the recent proposal. And I think we absolutely have to get more people on the up escalator of the economy by allowing them to pursue the trades and skills-based education and other paths to make sure they get access to the greatest social welfare program devised by human beings, and that’s a job. We need everyone to get a job. And that’s what postsecondary education has to prepare everyone to do.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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