[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 25, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H284-H285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            FAIRFAX FAILURE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I was appalled to learn that multiple 
schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, withheld National Merit 
Scholarship commendation award letters from hundreds of students. This 
is a problem.
  When political ideology stands in the way of students' success, it is 
a problem. When the pursuit of so-called equity starts harming 
students, it is a problem. When school bureaucrats hold students back 
to hide their own failures, it is a problem.
  The education bureaucracy failed these students. These students 
deserve to be rewarded for their hard work, and these students deserve 
an education system that will lift them up, not try to keep them down.
  These school administrators were trusted with the future of these 
students, and they broke that trust. Shame on them.


                            Dual Enrollment

  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, one silver lining of the pandemic is that it 
pushed more high school students to take dual enrollment classes.
  With the ever-rising cost of postsecondary education, dual enrollment 
programs are a great way for high school students to save on college 
costs. These programs allow advanced students to get a head start on 
their futures.
  This is the case at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, 
Alabama, where high schoolers made up a third of the student body, 
according to NPR. These students are benefiting from extensive State 
expansion of a dual enrollment program. The more education innovation 
we have, the better.
  Madam Speaker, we know that if a high school student takes at least 
one college-level course, that student is three times more likely to 
graduate from college than if the student didn't take a course.
  We should give students as many opportunities as possible to shape 
their own education experience, and encouraging dual enrollment is one 
great way to do just that.

                              {time}  1015


                         Filling the Skills Gap

  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, it is no wonder we have a skills gap. For 
decades, people have been told that a bachelor's degree is the only 
path to a successful career. As a result, fewer and fewer young people 
are choosing to learn skilled trades.
  Without skilled professionals, who will repair our roads, homes, and 
cars? We need these men and women who aren't afraid to get their hands 
dirty.

[[Page H285]]

Yet, applications for technical jobs dropped by almost 50 percent over 
the last 2 years.
  With a potential looming recession for those holding office jobs, 
many might be disappointed they missed out on learning a high-skilled 
trade. Fortunately, it isn't too late. Many open technical jobs pay a 
six-figure salary, and businessowners are struggling to fill them.
  If I had to give young people advice today, it would be to consider 
learning a high-skilled trade.

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