Maryland Gov. Wes Moore hosted President Joe Biden, Maryland Democratic Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D- Md.) at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) on Sept. 14 to announce $17.4 million in investments to bolster the state’s economy and educational systems.
“Hello, Prince George’s County! Hello, Maryland! Welcome to Biden Country,” said Congressman Steny Hoyer while kicking off the event.“We invested in America and Americans. We’ve added 13.5 million jobs during President Biden’s two-and-a-half years. That’s two-and-a-half times what any President has ever done before in four years.”
Maryland will direct $9.5 million in support from the U.S. Department of Education and $7.9 million from the Maryland Department of Labor to 23 adult education providers who will expand access to basic and secondary education for adults, English language acquisition, civics education, integrated education and training, and family literacy. All 16 Maryland community colleges, two local K-12 school systems, three community-based organizations, one public library system and the state correctional education system will receive the funding.
“Together, we will grow an economy that works for everyone, from the bottom up and the middle out,” the Democratic governor said. “President Biden has been very clear about his vision to empower and educate workers to grow the middle class. It’s a vision I stand by because it’s good for Maryland, good for our people, and good for our economy. Together, we are going to work in partnership to follow the president’s lead, build out our workforce, grow the economy, and win this decade.”
“Local adult education makes a difference in the lives of families and communities across our state,” said Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu. “We have over 20,000 adult learners in Maryland, and this funding will support their educational goals and development of new skills — which will contribute to our state’s workforce and bridge economic gaps in our local communities.”
This is not the first time that PGCC has rolled out the red carpet for occupants of the Oval Office. Former President Obama spoke at PGCC in 2012 and former first lady Michelle Obama visited the school in 2021.
“Hello, hello, hello,” opened Biden to great applause as he looked around the room.
“I didn’t see a whole lot trickle down onto my Dad’s kitchen table when I was young. Everyone deserves a shot to build a life for their families,” the president said before discussing his economic plan to rebuild families.
“It’s beginning to work for working families. The new economic vision, labeled by the more conservative press, didn’t mean it as a compliment at first,” he said. “But now they’re getting it! What is Bidenomics? Bidenomics is about investing in America, and Americans. Building from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.”
The list of grant awardees and more information about Maryland’s adult education provider network is available at labor.maryland.gov.