John Garamendi was raised on his family’s ranch in Mokelumne Hill, California. He received his B.A. in business from UC Berkeley where he was a Wheeler Scholar, second team All America offensive guard, two-time all Pacific Coast Conference team, and the 1964 West Coast heavy weight wrestling champion. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. He and his wife Patti served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia before returning to the U.S and settling down in Walnut Grove, where they raised six children. They now have 14 grandchildren and continue to raise Angus cattle on their ranch and grow pears in their Delta orchard in Walnut Grove.
I believe every student, from pre-kindergarten to the post-graduate university level, deserves every opportunity to advance and prosper. Indeed, our economy’s long-term growth depends on a well-educated, innovative workforce.
I also believe that scientific research is one of our nation’s most important investments, creating jobs and entirely new sectors of our economy while making our research universities the best in the world. Support for clean energy, innovative water recycling and water use technology, and advances in the space program will all help America prosper and grow in the coming century. For this reason, I am a strong proponent of technology transfers converting public research into private industry and jobs.
I am a former University of California regent and California State University trustee who believes there are few priorities more important than keeping college costs low to make sure that no qualified student is priced out of an education. 40 million Americans hold over $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. This is a crisis that requires immediate attention.
As a Member of Congress, I was proud to support a $36 billion expansion of the Pell Grant scholarship for lower-income students. I have consistently voted for and introduced legislation to make student loans more affordable by removing profiteers from the industry. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reports that by converting to a direct loan system, this policy will save taxpayers $61 billion over 10 years.
I've also introduced the bipartisan "Student Loan Refinancing and Recalculation Act," which would allow students to refinance their student loan interest rates, lower future student loan interest rates, eliminate origination fees on student loans, and delay student loan interest rate accrual for low-income and middle-class borrowers while they are pursuing their education.
I am also passionate about closing the achievement gap in our nation’s schools and committed to providing teachers with the tools they need to do their jobs. I have always supported robust investments in our schools, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and in vocational training. When we let students slip through the cracks, their potential is limited, and our country loses future skilled workers. In Congress, I will continue doing all I can to make sure that every American – and especially the next generation – can pursue the American dream.
For more information concerning my work and views on education and science, please contact my Washington, DC office. I look forward to your feedback. Thank you.
--Congressman John Garamendi