Congressman Fields Announces Ms. Kennedy Orr of Southern University As His Guest for the President's Joint Address to Congress

Washington, DC – Today Congressman Cleo Fields (LA-06) announced that his guest for President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress will be Kennedy Orr, President of the Student Government Association at Southern University and A&M College.

Ms. Orr is a USDA 1890 National Scholar. Under the Trump administration, the scholarship that Ms. Orr relies on to help fund her education was briefly cut and then reinstated. The distress that this decision caused students, and the uncertainty of what this decision means for future scholars beyond this year, is of great concern to Congressman Fields. 

Given the rising cost of college, it is estimated that 74% of undergraduates at Southern University receive various amounts of Pell Grant assistance. Throughout his legislative career, Congressman Fields has been a champion of increasing access to education. He supports finding ways to make college more affordable for all and was incredibly disheartened to find out that President Trump and his administration put students like Ms. Orr at risk of not being able to continue their education.

“Students like Kennedy are our future,” said Congressman Fields. “We need to do everything we can to create more opportunities for them, not destroy the opportunities they already have. When our students succeed, this country succeeds.”

As a proud graduate of the Southern University, a historically Black college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Congressman Fields will continue to advocate for students on his former campus, and throughout colleges and universities across the country. 

Congressman Fields recently co-sponsored the 1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Universities Scholarship Act, that permanently reauthorizes scholarships for students who want to complete degrees in areas like agriculture and food science at various HBCUs.

###