U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., has been named to the Senate Armed Services and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees.
“Our Armed Forces have always been the backbone of our safety and security as a nation, and North Carolina has played a large role in that history,” Hagan said in a press release.
Hagan defeated Salisbury native Elizabeth Dole in November to win a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Hagan’s father-in-law is a 95-year-old, retired two-star Marine general. Her father and brother served in the Navy, and her husband, Chip, is a Vietnam veteran who attended Wake Forest University Law School with help from the GI Bill.
“North Carolina is the most military friendly state in the nation, and I am committed to keeping it that way,” Hagan said in the press release. “I’m looking forward to working with our military leaders and our soldiers to ensure we have a 21st Century military. We need to find ways to support the next generation of professional soldiers, with programs such as the 21st Century GI Bill and ensure that they have the equipment and training they need and deserve to help keep our country safe.”
In the state Senate, Hagan was co-chair of the Appropriations Committee. Her office says she helped fund innovative learning programs such as Learn and Earn, which allows students to begin earning college credits at their local community colleges during their senior year in high school and receive an associate degree the following year.
Graduates then receive a $4,500 tuition credit for two years at state universities, allowing many students to graduate from state universities with little or no debt.
“From Murphy to Manteo, families I have talked to are feeling intense pressure to make ends meet,” Hagan said.
“The exploding cost of health care and lack of affordable educational opportunities are putting a daily strain on North Carolina families. I’m honored to be named to the committee that will spearhead the reform of educational programs like No Child Left Behind, reform our health-care system and help make a competitive and affordable elementary, secondary and college education a reality for all children in this country.”
Hagan recently co-sponsored her first bill in the U.S. Senate, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which originates in the HELP Committee. The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would ensure that victims of pay discrimination have the ability to hold their employers accountable and receive back pay to which they are entitled.