I believe we have a responsibility to make higher education affordable for the next generation.
Make higher education affordable for the next generation.
Occurrences
Full Title To establish State-Federal partnerships to provide students the opportunity to attain higher education at in-State public institutions of higher education without debt, to provide Federal Pell Grant eligibility to DREAMer students, and for other purposes.
Evidence
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"College can open up many opportunities and I believe we have a responsibility to make higher education affordable for the next generation." The page also says he supports initiatives to forgive student debt and refinance federal student loans.
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Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (Introduced 07/13/2016). Latest action: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. The bill would establish federal-state higher education financing partnerships to drive down tuition costs for students.
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Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (Introduced 03/06/2019). Latest Action: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. The summary says the bill aimed to provide debt-free college at in-state public institutions and HBCUs/MSIs.
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Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (Introduced 03/23/2021). Latest Action: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. The summary says it would let federal borrowers refinance their interest rates to the current applicable rate.
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Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (Introduced 06/07/2023). Latest Action: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The summary says it would cover unmet financial need and make certain Dreamer students eligible for federal financial aid.
Assessments
Pocan clearly made the promise and repeatedly took serious legislative action tied to it, including sponsoring multiple higher-education affordability and student-loan refinancing bills across several Congresses. But the supplied record shows those measures were introduced and referred to committee without enactment, and there is no evidence here that he materially advanced a broader affordability outcome that was later completed by others. In federal office-context terms, that supports credit for sustained effort, but not for delivery of the promised outcome.
Pocan repeatedly made serious legislative attempts to reduce college costs and student loan burdens, including sponsoring the Degrees Not Debt Act, Debt-Free College Act versions, and Student Loan Refinancing Act. However, the evidence shows these bills were introduced and referred to committee without enactment, and there is no evidence that the promised outcome of making higher education affordable for the next generation was delivered.