GA senators are backing bill that would give more money to community colleges. What to know

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff stopped in Macon Monday to announce new legislation that would bolster job training programs at community and technical colleges.

The appearance is his first since President Joe Biden announced he would be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race on Sunday. While Ossoff did briefly commend the president for his decision, he remained focused on the recently-introduced legislation during his appearance.

The bill, which is co-sponsored by Sens. Raphael Warnock and Mike Braun, seeks to permanently authorize the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants program. It was introduced in the Senate June 18 and has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. It is dubbed the “Pathways to Prosperity Act.”

“We’re doing this because community colleges, technical education can be the pathway for Georgians to the life that they dream about,” Ossoff said. “We want to empower Georgia’s technical colleges and community colleges to succeed so that more Georgians can succeed.”

What would the bill do?

The Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants program is a U.S. Department of Labor initiative that issued its first round of grants in 2021 in response to challenges technical and community colleges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The goal of the grants is to provide money for instruction and partnerships between technical and community colleges and private businesses to build a workforce with in-demand skills. More than 170 colleges across the U.S. have received grants across all four rounds, including two grants going to programs in Georgia.

If passed, the bill would make the grants a permanent initiative. The bill’s language also emphasizes programs that serve marginalized communities and rural areas, communities with a high number of low-income residents and communities with “barriers to employment.”

Ossoff stressed the bill’s aim to give students skills that are in-demand in their area. In Middle Georgia, that could be skills for aircraft and electric vehicle manufacturing, Ossoff said.

EV production has been a major area of interest lately, with the U.S. Department of Energy announcing earlier this month that the Blue Bird bus factory in Fort Valley would receive $80 million to convert old facilities into EV manufacturing plants. In May 2023, the federal government said the factory would receive around $1 billion over five years through contracts to manufacture electric school buses.

In the aircraft industry, aircraft manufacturer Embraer renewed its lease at a maintenance facility in Macon, committing to Middle Georgia for up to 15 more years. Warner Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins employs more than 22,000 civilians, military members and contractors.

Will the bill be passed?

Because the bill is still in the early stages, it’s hard to know the chances of it making it to the president’s desk.

The bill is sponsored by Ossoff and Warnock, both Democrats, and Braun from Indiana, a Republican. Ossoff said its bipartisan nature means it is significantly more likely to be signed into law.

“That’s what this is all about, strengthening community colleges. This is a bipartisan effort,” Ossoff said.

The bill also builds on existing programs and funding, rather than creating something entirely new.

However, Ossoff did emphasize that passing any kind of legislation is difficult, and he alongside the bill’s other two sponsors expect to monitor it and work with their colleagues in Congress to get it through.

Did Ossoff have anything to say about Joe Biden dropping out?

While Ossoff spent the majority of the event discussing the legislation, questions about Biden were inevitable as it was his first appearance following the announcement that the president was dropping out of the 2024 race.

Ossoff said he spoke with the president Sunday night. He also commended Biden’s work as president during his remarks, specifically on the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.

Ossoff also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who is widely expected to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee for president. He also expressed support for her on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after it was announced that Biden would be dropping out and endorsing Harris.

“I am grateful for the president’s service and I communicated that to him,” Ossoff said. “As I said yesterday, the vice president is prepared for the presidency, she is ready to win, she has my full support.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2024 at 9:16 AM.