From the office of Rep. Donald Norcross, March 4, 2020
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, D-1st District, joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Chairman Bobby Scott, D-Virginia, Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia to address the need to pass the Rebuild America’s Schools Act – legislation that invests in the infrastructure of public schools across the nation.
“My top priorities in Congress have always been jobs, education, and security, and all three are addressed in the Rebuild America’s Schools Act. Investing in our nation’s public schools will create good-paying jobs, improve educational outcomes, and ensure that students learn in state-of-the-art buildings that are safe and secure,” said Norcross, a member of the House Education and Labor Committee on Congress. “As public officials, it is our duty to protect our children, fight for their futures, and deliver high-quality education regardless of their zip code, and the Rebuild America’s Schools Act does just that.”
To watch the press conference, click here.
The Rebuild America’s Schools Act, provides $100 billion to help repair and improve the physical and digital infrastructure of public schools across the nation. Specifically, the bill would:
- Create a $70 billion grant program and $30 billion bond program targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff.
- Leverage federal, state, and local resources to create over 1.9 million jobs, based on an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.
- Develop a comprehensive national database on the condition of public-school facilities; such a national database currently does not exist and would provide much-needed insight into the condition of our public schools.
- Expand access to high-speed broadband to ensure that public schools have the reliable and high-speed Internet access they need for digital learning.
To read the fact sheet on Rebuild America’s Schools Act, click here.
To read the section-by-section of the Rebuild America’s Schools Act, click here.