New House Education Committee Chairman Tim Walberg Will Share His Views on Higher Education Policy at CSPEN’s Higher Education Policy Meeting For the Second Year in a Row
Overview
CSPEN is thrilled to announce that Representative Tim Walberg (R-MI) will for the second straight year present at CSPEN’s 7th Annual Higher Education Policy meeting February 11-13, 2025.
As our community knows from previous CSPEN reporting, Representative Walberg, was chosen by the GOP to succeed Dr. Virginia Foxx as Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce at the end of 2024. As a member of the committee for over a decade, Mr. Walberg has been a major advocate for not only higher education, but the advancement of skilled, workforce education as a major driver of the economy and jobs with an emphasis on the needs of the state and local communities.
Here are his positions on key policy issues as he takes the gavel for the 119th Congress
The Higher Education Act
The current higher education system is too expensive and bureaucratic and is in need of reform so that more students can pursue the dream of a college degree. Any reforms to our higher education policies and programs must prioritize reducing costs and emphasizing the importance of completion, while simplifying and improving student aid programs, and increasing transparency in prices and program outcomes. To learn more about the House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s efforts in this area, please click here (republicans-edlabor.house.gov/)
College Affordability
The cost of college has increased steadily over the past decade. On average, students in Michigan are graduating with about $30,000 (ticas.org/interactive-map/) in debt. We must do more to incentivize and support those who plan ahead and save for education. Additionally, we must look for ways to streamline and simplify our federal student aid system, so students and families can effectively navigate their options and find what works best for them. If you are interested in learning more about what college financing options may be available to you, please visit here (www2.ed.gov/fund/grants-college.html) .
Career and Technical Education
When I meet with educators, manufacturers, and career centers in Michigan, I hear about the struggle to find well-trained workers to meet the ever-growing demand in the skilled trades or technical fields. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act (www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6585?s=1&r=17) , which would expand the use of the Pell Grant to skills-based programs that offer high-quality credentials and certifications that our economy demands. Taxpayer dollars must be more effective in aligning America’s education opportunities with our workforce needs. The PELL Act would address these needs by enabling education and career training opportunities for a new segment of the American population.
In 2018, President Trump signed into law, H.R.2353 (www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2353/actions?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22HR+2353%22%5D%7D&r=1) , a bill to reauthorize and improve the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act – legislation that has provided federal support to state and local career and technical education programs for over 30 years. Additionally, H.R.2353 contained language (republicans-edlabor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402995) from my bill, H.R.2155 (www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2155?r=1) , the New Hope Act, which gives states additional flexibility to identify, consolidate, or eliminate licensing requirements that pose an unnecessary barrier to entry for aspiring workers and provide limited consumer protection. Additionally, I was proud to sponsor H.R.1032 (www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1032?s=7&r=11) , Telecommunication Skilled Workforce Act, to help close the workforce shortage in the telecommunications industry, so the United States is equipped to deploy 5G technology and broadband infrastructure to underserved communities. H.R.1032 was signed into law in November 2021.
About Chairman Walberg
Tim Walberg is currently serving his ninth term in Congress as the representative of southern Michigan, making him Dean of the Michigan congressional delegation. The diverse constituency of Michigan’s 5th District encompasses Branch, Cass, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee, Monroe, and St. Joseph Counties, along with portions of Berrien, Calhoun, and Kalamazoo Counties. Since first taking office, Tim has hosted hundreds of coffee and town hall meetings to better understand the thoughts and concerns of the district.
Prior to his time in public office, Tim served as a pastor in Michigan and Indiana, as president of the Warren Reuther Center for Education and Community Impact, and as a division manager for Moody Bible Institute. He also served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1983 to 1999, and is proud to bring his reputation as a principled legislator, fiscal reformer, and defender of traditional values to Washington.
Based on his record of legislative accomplishment, Tim holds the designation as Michigan’s most conservative Member of Congress, based on the American Conservative Union’s lifetime score. Tim was also ranked by the Center for Effective Lawmaking, a non-partisan collaboration between Vanderbilt University and University of Virginia, as the most effective member of Michigan’s congressional delegation in the 115th Congress. In the following session of Congress, the Center for Effective Lawmaking once again recognized Tim for his policymaking success, naming him the top Republican legislator on technology issues.
Register Immediately to attend CSPEN’s 7th Annual Higher Education Policy Meeting and share time directly with the new Chairman of the House Committee on Education & the Workforce!
