Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Child Nutrition
House Democrats Introduce New Bill to Protect WIC Benefits from Partisan Gridlock
10.14.25 WASHINGTON - Seventy House Democrats introduced the WIC Benefits Protection Act. This bill guarantees funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and ensures that eligible families will still receive critical nutrition assistance regardless of partisan gridlock or lapses in government funding. Currently, the program supports nearly 7 million women, infants, and children—almost 40 percent of all infants in the United States. WIC has a proven trac… Continue Reading
Scott, Bonamici Demand USDA Restore Hunger Study, Following Historic SNAP Cuts
10.02.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), House Committee on Education and Workforce, condemned the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision under Secretary Brooke Rollins to terminate the agency’s Economic Research Service (ERS) Household Food Security Reports. The reports provide insights into the severity of food insec… Continue Reading
Scott, Bonamici Urge USDA to Minimize Disruptions to WIC Services for Pregnant Women and Infants During Government Shutdown
10.01.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) urged Department of Agriculture Secretary (USDA) Brooke Rollins to minimize disruption of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during a government shutdown and to provide clarity to states to ensure that families are not unnecessar… Continue Reading
Scott, Bonamici Scrutinize Harms and Cost of Proposed USDA Reorganization
08.22.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), House Committee on Education and Workforce, raised concerns to Department of Agriculture Secretary (USDA) Brooke Rollins regarding the agency’s abrupt announcement to reorganize USDA. This follows harmful agency relocations under the first Trump Administration. This latest push occur… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Trump Administration Taking Chainsaw to Social Safety Net
07.11.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Labor announced plans to further prevent undocumented immigrants from accessing federal programs. “Undocumented immigrants are already prohibited from participating in many federal social safety net programs, such as SNAP benefits and Pell Grants. And when they are eligible, it is because th… Continue Reading
Scott Votes Against GOP’s Big, Ugly Bill. Again.
07.03.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after voting against the Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill. “Once again, Republicans rushed to jam their Big, Ugly Bill through Congress. Their bill will have serious consequences for America’s working families. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that 17 million people will lose their health insurance, including over 322,000 Virginians. It will make colle… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Rips Apart Republicans’ “Big Bad Billionaires Bill”
05.22.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, House Committee on Education and Workforce, spoke in opposition to the “Big Bad Billionaires’ Bill,” which makes extreme cuts to federal education, health, and child nutrition programs, and raises the federal deficit, all to give more tax breaks and handouts to wealthy Americans and corporations. Watch Ranking Member Scott’s remarks on YouTube. “Mr. Speaker, it’s hard to take my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seriously wh… Continue Reading
What They’re Actually Saying About Republicans’ “Big Ugly Budget Bill”
05.21.25 WASHINGTON - House Republicans’ “Big Ugly Budget Bill will make college less affordable for students, raise student loan payments for current borrowers, and expose students to predatory, for-profit institutions— all to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and corporations. Here is what advocates, experts, and scholars are actually saying about how this bill will impact them: AFL-CIO: “These and other harmful cuts swamp the few new investments in the bill. The bill makes higher education less affo… Continue Reading
Up to 18.3 Million Children Could Lose Access to Free School Meals Because of Republican Tax Cuts for the Wealthy
05.20.25 WASHINGTON - Today, the Urban Institute released a new report shedding light on how the Republicans’budget reconciliation proposal could cause up to 18.3 million children to lose access to free school mealseither through individual certification or through their school or state’s participation in universal school meal programs. “Republicans’ proposal denies low-income students access to free school meals and the ability to reach their full potential. For some students, the food served at sch… Continue Reading
Scott, Boyle Demand Answers about How Tax Cuts for the Rich will Limit Access to School Meals and Nutrition Programs
05.15.25 WASHINGTON- Committee Leaders are raising alarm over the Republicans’ drastic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid included in the budget reconciliation which will negatively impact children’s access to school meal programs and threaten food security for millions of families that rely on summer grocery benefits and other health and nutrition services. Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Ranking Memb… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Demands RFK Jr. to Reinstate Staff who Set Federal Poverty Guidelines
04.16.25 WASHINGTON - Today, House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) expressed grave concern to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., following the Trump Administration’s decision to eliminate the entire staff of the team within the Office of the Assistance Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) who set federal poverty guidelines. Poverty guidelines help to establish eligibility criteria for a wide-ranging number of federal prog… Continue Reading
Students’ Access to SNAP Must be Improved with Increased Outreach Efforts from ED and USDA
04.11.25 WASHINGTON - Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report on how many college students experiencing hunger are still not accessing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In the FAFSA Simplification Act, Congress directed the Department of Education (ED) to leverage FAFSA data to reduce college student food insecurity. As part of the implementation of this law, the Biden Administration set up an agreement that allows ED to share data with the Depar… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Opposes Republican Proposal to Raise Student Loans Payments and Cut School Meal Programs
02.13.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, spoke in opposition to House Republicans’ proposed budget. Republicans’ budget cuts will likely target school meal programs and the student loan program. These cuts, aimed at funding tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, come at a time when millions of American families are struggling with rising prices for everyday essentials like eggs. The Majority’s proposed cuts threaten crit… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott's Opening Statement at Markup of Bills to Burden School Administrators and Make Students Less Healthy
02.12.25 *Amendments and letters of opposition for today’s markup can be found here.* WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee markup of H.R. 1048, H.R. 649, H.R. 1069, H.R. 1005, and H.R. 1049. “Thank you, Chairman Walberg. Today, we are here to mark up four education bills and one nutrition-related bill. “With regard to the education bills, it is hard to overlook the glaring irony in today’s markup. My Republic… Continue Reading
Committee Republicans Pass Unfunded Mandates, Bills to Make School Meals Less Healthy, and Weaken Our International Relations
02.12.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee Republicans advanced four education bills and one nutrition bill that would further burden the U.S. Department of Education even as they seek to dismantle the Department and endanger the future of public education. “[T]he proposals we are considering today will not actually improve students’ education and outcomes. We are considering a series of bills that only add complexity and confusion and, frankly, are solutions in search of a problem,” said Ranking Member Sc… Continue Reading
House Education Leaders Applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for Expanding Summer Meal Programs to Children
08.28.24 WASHINGTON - House education leaders applauded the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Vilsack for the Biden-Harris Administration’s proposed rule on implementation of the new Summer-EBT program, including a streamlined certification process to ease burden for both states and families. The letter was sent by House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Ranking Member Su… Continue Reading
Fighting Summer Hunger Pangs: New Report Highlights Critical Role of Summer Feeding Programs in Combatting Child Hunger
06.11.24 WASHINGTON -Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released a new report on summer feeding programs, including the new Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) Program and its potential to effectively combat child hunger during the summer months, when children are not in school. The report underscores the need to support and expand these types of programs to bridge the gap between school years and prevent food insecurity. “Summer nutrition programs play a crucial role in addr… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Partisan Farm Bill Proposal
05.22.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement ahead of the Committee on Agriculture’s markup of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (H.R.8467). “During the school year, the National School Lunch Program ensures that every student who needs a nutritious meal, can receive one. Unfortunately, over the summer—when classes are not in session—many students lose access to a vital source of nutrition. “In December of 2022, Congress enacted, … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration Rule to Provide Healthier Meals for Children
04.24.24 WASHINGTON- Ranking Member Scott issued the following statement after the Biden Administration released a final rule to improve nutrition standards for child nutrition programs and align them with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). “Students should be served healthy meals at schools based on nutritional science and expert guidance, not based on political considerations or special interests. This is particularly important considering that school meals are the most substantial me… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds USDA for Expanding Access to Healthy Foods for WIC Participants
04.09.24 WASHINGTON - Today, on the 50th anniversary year of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Agriculture released the final rule that would better align WIC food packages, address disparities, and increase access to healthy foods. “The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is vital for the healthy devel… Continue Reading