News

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and U.S. Representative Steve Chabot (R-OH) today welcomed the House passage of the Protecting Girls’ Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act, bicameral legislation they introduced to ensure children overseas who are displaced due to ongoing conflicts have access to a quality basic education. They previously worked together to pass the Girls Count Act, legislation to direct current U.S. foreign assistance programming to support the rights of women and girls in developing countries by working to establish birth registries in their countries.
 
Rubio introduced the Senate version of the Protecting Girls’ Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act with Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in July 2017.
 
“Millions of people are displaced globally due to ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises leaving children, particularly girls, vulnerable and unable to access a quality basic education. Education is critical to ensuring children have an opportunity to succeed and contribute to their communities,” Rubio said. “I hope President Trump will sign our bill quickly and solidify U.S. commitments to ensuring that all children have access to a primary or secondary education, whatever their gender and wherever they live.”
 
“As a father, grandfather and former teacher, I am pleased to see this important bipartisan legislation is on its way to becoming law,” Chabot said. “Members from both parties, and both chambers, came together to make sure that girls around the world, displaced by conflicts, have the opportunity to receive an education. I introduced this legislation, because education puts girls on the path to success, and helps protect them from trafficking, child marriage, and poverty. And by prioritizing education in our international assistance programs, this bill paves the way for a more peaceful and stable life for displaced girls around the world.”