Chairman Scott Statement on Passage of Labor-HHS-Education Funding Package
WASHINGTON – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement following passage of the H.R. 2740, an FY 2020 appropriations minibus that includes four appropriations bills, including legislation funding the Departments of Education, Labor, Health and Human Services, and related agencies. The bill passed with only Democratic votes.
“Today, House Democrats demonstrated our commitment to improving the lives of students, workers and families across the country. This funding package includes important investments in making college more affordable, expanding access to job training, preventing wage theft, reducing maternal mortality, and other key areas that are critical to the health and well-being of our constituents. Notably, as Americans across the country demand greater support for education, this bill provides record levels of funding for our public schools.
“By passing this funding package, we have also rejected the president’s funding cuts that would force low-income and middle-class Americans to pay for his $1.5 trillion tax cut, which overwhelmingly benefitted corporations and the wealthy.
“I am especially pleased that the final bill includes an amendment to protect construction and shipyard workers – including many workers in my district – from the hazards of beryllium, an ultra-toxic metal. It does so by prohibiting the Department of Labor from spending funds to roll back health standards, previously adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, that protect workers from this cancer-causing substance.
“This funding package reflects House Democrats vision for the future of our country: We are working toward an America where everyone can succeed.”
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