Congressman Horsford Tackles Racial Gaps in College Attainment During House Ways and Means Subcommittee Hearing

NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEV. — This week, Congressman Steven Horsford (D-NV-04) joined his colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee's Oversight Subcommittee to hold a hearing on expanding access to higher education, particularly for students of color and those from low-income backgrounds.

"Over the last decade, Black and Latino students have made dramatic gains in college degree attainment, changing millions of lives for the better. Despite these achievements, their attainment rates are still lagging far behind that of other racial and ethnic groups. We must do better for our students," said Congressman Steven Horsford. "During this week's hearing, I was glad to hear recommendations from our witnesses on improving racial equity in our education system and strengthening our tax code to make higher education accessible to more students."

During the hearing, Congressman Horsford asked witness Marshall Anthony Jr., a senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress, for recommendations on how the House Ways and Means Committee can tackle racial inequities in education. In his response, Mr. Anthony stressed the importance of a progressive tax code that provides tax breaks to lower-income Americans and makes the cost of college more financially feasible.

Congressman Horsford is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee Racial Equity Initiative, which works to address the role of racism and other forms of discrimination in perpetuating health and economic inequalities in the United States. To learn more about the Racial Equity Initiative, click here.

To watch a full video of Congressman Horsford's statement and question from the hearing, click here.

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