[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S6472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Nomination of James Richard Kvaal

  Mr. President, right now, many students in higher education across 
the country are back on campus for the start of a new school year, and 
although I know many of them are excited to finally be able to return 
to their classrooms and their friends, there are still many challenges 
in higher education we need to tackle immediately, including keeping 
our students safe and healthy as the COVID-19 crisis continues.
  We also cannot lose sight of the fact that student debt is at a 
historic high as borrowers across our country are drowning in student 
debt. The cost of higher education continues to rise, forcing students 
to give up on higher education dreams simply because they can't afford 
it. Predatory for-profit colleges continue to target first-generation 
students, students of color, and our veterans. Across the country, 
campus sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination, and systemic 
racism leave too many students feeling unsafe in their own school 
communities.
  Students across our country deserve leaders who are committed to 
addressing these urgent problems and who will work to always put 
students and borrowers first. I believe James Kvaal is exactly that 
kind of leader, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his 
nomination to serve as Under Secretary of Education. Mr. Kvaal's 
background reflects a deep commitment to our Nation's students and the 
experience needed to hit the ground running on day one.
  As president of the Institute for College Access and Success, Mr. 
Kvaal fought to improve student outcomes and quality, reform Federal 
and State financial aid, support student loan borrowers, and increase 
State and Federal investments in higher education. He also has a long 
record in public service, including as Deputy Under Secretary of 
Education and as Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council in the 
Obama administration, where he helped strengthen college 
accountability, expand investments in Pell grants, and worked to ensure 
students had critical information about the outcomes of the colleges 
and universities they might attend.
  To me, it is a clear vote to confirm Mr. Kvaal. It is a vote to 
support our students and borrowers and to help build a stronger, more 
equitable higher education system.