A New Conservative Coalition
What to know: A conservative coalition has come together on the issue of border security. Led by TPPF, the U.S.-Mexico Policy Coalition is calling on lawmakers to rethink the U.S. approach to Mexico.
The TPPF take: Mexico has become increasingly hostile to the U.S.
“While much of the Washington, D.C., policy community was looking the other way, Mexico emerged as one of the chief national-security challenges to the United States,” says TPPF’s Joshua Treviño. “Our neighbor to the south, to which we are ordinarily bound by ties of sentiment and friendship, is now ruled by a regime of leftist authoritarians in open partnership with narco cartels who kill Americans every day.”
For more on Mexico, click here.
Parents Empowered- in Ohio
What to know: Ohio has empowered parents with universal school choice—now, the money follows students, not systems.
The TPPF take: Texas lawmakers must get school choice over the finish line in a special session.
“Throughout the last year, we’ve worked hard to advance parent empowerment. But our opponents have worked hard, too—mostly to mislead and fearmonger,” says TPPF’s Mandy Drogin. “The education lobbyists and administrators, whose only goal is to rake more money in to the system, worry that parental empowerment will erode their control and require greater accountability.”
For more on parent empowerment, click here.
College Loans and Grants
What to know: It’s easy for students and their families to be mystified by student loans and grants. That’s especially true nowadays, when recruiters have so many synonyms for “loan.”
The TPPF take: When you don’t speak college admissions, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what “Direct Unsubsidized Stafford” means and whether it differs from a “Direct Subsidized Loan.”
“The Government Accountability Office reported in 2022 that roughly 29% of colleges bundle all types of aid together on their financial aid offers,” says TPPF’s Erin Valdez. “These offers do not differentiate between loans, which must eventually be paid back, and scholarships and grants, which are gift money.”
For more on student loans and grants, click here.