Pelosi Remarks at Press Event to Unveil ‘Better Deal’ Proposal to Increase Teacher Pay and Make Investments in America’s Schools

Contact: Ashley Etienne/Henry Connelly, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House and Senate Democrats and education advocates for a press event to unveil another critical tenet of Democrats' economic agenda, ‘A Better Deal.' A Better Deal for Teachers would help increase teacher pay, protect teachers' freedom to negotiate, and provide significant funding to improve the services at and infrastructure of America's schools. Below are the Leader's remarks:

Leader Pelosi. Thank you very much, Leader Schumer. I'm picking up where you left off in terms of budget priorities. It is important to note that the investment that we make in our teachers and the education of our children is the most important investment a country can make and families can make in wanting that for their children. Nothing, Mr. Leader as you know, nothing brings more to the Treasury than investments in education: early childhood, K through 12, higher education, post-grad, lifetime learning for our workers.

But in that crucial time when our children are in school, children have teachers as the custodians of their future. As the Leader said, this is something that should be revered, and it should certainly be rewarded with the pay that it deserves. That's why we have a better deal, in A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Pay, Better Future for our children by having a Better Deal for our teachers.

I am honored to be here with Leader Schumer, Bobby Scott, our Ranking Member in the House Committee on Education and Workforce is in the hearing right now with Secretary DeVos. Hopefully he will join us. But he has been a great champion on this issue. As has Senator Patty Murray – a real champion – highly recognized for all of her time in Congress and even before.

We are all honored to be here with the President of the National Education Association, Lily Eskelsen García, and the head of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten. Thank you for your service and leadership to our country. Thank you for honoring us with your presence today.

And thank you to the teachers all around the country. America's teachers have organized, mobilized and marched for the dignity of a good wage. Democrats are so proud to join them as they take the fight for their dignity and their paychecks to the Capitol.

We tell children – it's very interesting – we tell children that education is so important, that they should study and work hard and pay attention in school, and that's the message we want them to receive. And yet, the message that they get when they see teachers are underpaid: we promote it as a value with our children, [but] we undervalue it when we underpay our teachers. When children go to substandard schools, they get a different message about how important education is and when children are denied the tools they need to succeed in school.

The injustice touches every community in our country. Our teachers deserve our support. They deserve a raise. Yet, instead of making smart, strong investments in our education system, Republicans are fighting to slash teacher and school budgets – eliminating Title II-A professional development and support for educators. Right there, slash it. Really, with stiff competition, this is one of the dumbest things that the Republicans have done because, again, nothing brings more to the Treasury to reduce the deficit than investing in education, and yet they are cutting it.

Republicans are giving teachers a raw deal. Democrats are, as the Leader said, are offering A Better Deal. Raising teachers' pay, protecting teachers' freedom to negotiate for better wages, investing in our crumbling schools. As part of a Better Deal, Democrats are proud to commit to creating an ambitious $50 billion fund for school infrastructure and resources.

Our schools deserve 21st Century classrooms and up-to-date technology. They deserve quality public education in safe, modern schools. That's what our students and teachers deserve. They deserve a place where they can succeed regardless of their zip code, and they deserve strong schools that attract and retain our best educators and school administrators.

Now, we were going to hear from Bobby Scott, but Bobby Scott is, as I say, in a hearing, and he will be yielding with great respect and admiration to the distinguished Ranking Member of the HELP Committee in the Senate, a champion for education. A champion for our children, Senator [Patty] Murray.

Leader Pelosi Closing Remarks.

Leader Pelosi. I doubt that Bobby's going to make it because he had his hearing and now we have votes shortly on the Floor, but if he were here he would be talking about giving teachers the right to bargain collectively, to eliminate any obstacles to that. And he'd spent some time on the importance of funding for children with special needs that we have an obligation to do. So we have important work to do. He's doing some in Committee now. Thank you, Mr. Leader.

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Q: Does any of the money, part of the $50 billion, go towards school safety? [inaudible] Infrastructure?

Leader Schumer. The $50 billion goes towards salaries and benefits and things like that, but this is a $140 billion dollar package which gives the schools flexibility for school safety. Particularly on the infrastructure part. Yes?

Q: You guys have control of neither of the two chambers, you don't control the White House –

Leader Schumer. Give us a little time.

[Laughter]

Q: Ok. What do you think the odds are of this passing?

Leader Schumer. Well I think the odds of something like this passing are large in the next several years. Our Republican colleagues have so far not funded education, they've slashed it. If you look so far at the budget President Trump submitted on education, it was a joke. But fortunately Leader Pelosi and I in the omnibus negotiation were able to get some significant increases for the important education positions. Patti Murray, Bobby Scott and others helped lead us in that direction.

So the American people realize that teachers are so important and believe they should be paid more. The demonstrations and walkouts have huge support of the American people and then when you say, the way you're going to pay for it. Well the very wealthiest should not get such a large tax cut, you pay for it that way – you have overwhelming support.

So I think the day is going to come sooner than you think. Thank you, everybody.

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