Jamie Raskin - CICC Member Spotlight

I joined the Congressional Independent Colleges Caucus so I can keep track of the myriad ways we can use federal policy to support independent colleges and universities throughout my District and across the nation. Our independent colleges and universities help us meet significant educational needs in our community and contribute on a daily basis to the economic, cultural and intellectual vitality of our region.

Independent colleges across Ohio’s 14th District are positively impacting the lives of those who call Northeast Ohio home. Institutions like Hiram College and Lake Erie College are educating the next generation of America’s leaders, ensuring young people have the skills they need to meet the challenges of the 21st century head on. One of the other independent colleges operating within the 14th District, the Central School of Practical Nursing, plays a critical role in training highly skilled nurses, ensuring that Ohio will be prepared to meet the challenges posed by the nation-wide healthcare professional shortage. It’s a true honor to be able to advocate for these schools in Congress.

They partner with local hospitals, NIH, NASA, NOAA, and every manner of local business from hotels and restaurants to law firms and architects. They reach out to underserved communities. I know that every institution of higher education had to innovate and adapt just to get their students safely through the last several years of the COVID-19 pandemic. One example is found at McDaniel College of Westminster, Maryland, in the heart of Carroll County. I recently recognized McDaniel’s Shelley Ensor as a “Local Hero,” for her inclusive and dynamic leadership of the McDaniel College Gospel Choir. Not only did Shelley adapt her instruction to rehearse remotely under COVID-19, but under her leadership, the choir opened its doors to the greater Carroll County community beyond the student body. It was an important and soulful contribution to the community.

I was proud to vote for the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, which invested across sectors of our public life to turn the corner in our nation’s COVID-19 recovery, including in higher education. The American Rescue Plan sustains educational institutions through multiple challenges, and especially helped keep students from low-income backgrounds in school. My own state of Maryland received over $650 million for 68 colleges and universities from the legislation. I am a strong supporter of the Pell Grant program, which extends the promise of higher education to students who would not otherwise be able to afford to attend college. When Congress appropriates funding to federal programs, I continually advocate to strengthen and expand this key program. I am also an original cosponsor of the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2021 (H.R. 3946) which would, among other provisions, double the maximum Pell Grant and shift the Pell Grant program to fully mandatory funding.