College to Congress Founder and CEO, Audrey Henson, to Testify Before Congress in Public Witness Hearing for Fiscal Year 2021

WASHINGTON, February 28, 2020 (Newswire.com) - Audrey Henson, Founder and CEO of College to Congress (C2C), will testify in a Public Witness Hearing before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch on Wednesday, March 4 at approximately 2:00 pm in Room HT-2 of the Capitol Building.

“When I worked as a congressional intern and staffer, I met few people who came from backgrounds like mine,” said Henson, who was raised by a single-parent in a small, economically distressed town. “By increasing the number of paid internship positions on Capitol Hill, more students from disadvantaged backgrounds can represent their communities in Congress. We want Congress to be truly reflective of the population it serves, and that starts with offering more paid internships.”

Background

Over the last three years, Henson has advocated tirelessly for increased and permanent funding for paid congressional internships. During the hearing, she will also testify on the need for a dedicated human resources office to assist congressional offices with the onboarding of new staff; on expanding the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion; and on increasing the benefit cap on Congress’ existing student loan repayment program.

When Henson founded C2C four years ago, over 90% of congressional internships were unpaid and, therefore, inaccessible to many low-income college students. As part of the organization’s advocacy efforts, C2C has been instrumental in helping to secure over $31 million in funding for congressional internships. 

College to Congress supports H. Res. 756, a resolution that implements recommendations made by the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (SCOMC). This resolution advances nearly 30 bipartisan recommendations from the SCOMC that address concrete measures to create a more efficient and effective House of Representatives, some of which have already been enacted with significant impact. 

College to Congress is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to create a more inclusive and effective Congress by empowering the next generation of public servants. College to Congress is disrupting the pipeline of who becomes congressional staff by helping high-achieving, low-income students secure full-time internships in Congress and covering the true cost of an unpaid internship.

For more information about College to Congress, please visit www.collegetocongress.org.

For more information on the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, please visit https://modernizecongress.house.gov

#####

Source: College to Congress