Raleigh, N.C. – Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) made a series of stops across Wake County this week, including visits to East Garner Elementary School and Shaw University. The Congresswoman spoke with constituents about the President’s proposed American Families Plan and the American Rescue Plan, a COVID-19 relief package which was signed into law.
Congresswoman Ross said, “I was honored to spend my district work period back home, visiting East Garner Elementary School and discussing the vital need to expand free school meals and provide more support for our outstanding teachers. President Biden’s American Rescue Plan is already making a real difference here in Wake County. I am grateful for the help that this law has provided for our schools and institutions of higher education, and I am excited about the even greater impact that the American Families Plan will have on our education system.
“I was also pleased to visit Shaw University and highlight the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act and the investments the American Rescue Plan makes in our HBCUs. These historic institutions have always been agents of equity, access, and excellence in education, especially for Black students. I will continue to work in Congress and with the Administration to ensure they receive the resources they deserve.”
Specifically, Rep. Ross highlighted the American Families Plan’s provisions to reduce food hardship among schoolchildren and help their families make ends meet. In North Carolina, 20% of children live in food insecure households. The American Families Plan will ensure that the nutritional needs of North Carolina’s children are met by expanding access to free school meals to an additional 283,000 students and providing 903,000 students with resources to purchase food over the summer. The American Families Plan also invests in teachers to improve teacher preparation and strengthen pipelines for teachers of color.
Earlier this week, Rep. Ross visited Shaw University where they discussed the Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education for (IGNITE) HBCU Excellence Act and President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and The American Families Plan. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, Shaw received over $5 million dollars.
Specifically, the American Families Plan includes a $39 billion program that provides two years of subsidized tuition for students from families earning less than $125,000 enrolled in a four-year HBCU, TCU, or MSI. The President is also calling for $5 billion to expand existing institutional aid grants to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, which can be used by these institutions to strengthen their academic, administrative, and fiscal capabilities, including by creating or expanding educational programs in high-demand fields.
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