Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Higher Education
Scott: HBCUs Are Constitutional
05.08.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump suggested financing for Historically Black Colleges and Universities may be unconstitutional: "The President issued a signing statement calling into question the constitutional status of federally-designated Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the programs that serve them. While he has since issued another statement attempting to clarify his support for HBCUs, there has been… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Omnibus
05.03.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the passage (309-118) of fiscal year 2017 omnibus legislation, H.R. 244 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017: “Budgeting requires making tough choices, and a budget is a reflection of priorities. Today’s spending agreement prevents the government from shutting down and limits harmful efforts to balance the budget on the backs of students, working families, and vulnerable communities across the nation. “As l… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats: Accreditation Systems Must Promote Innovation, High Quality Programs
04.27.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing on accreditation systems and how they can be improved to better protect students and taxpayers. The accreditation system is responsible for ensuring America's students are investing in a high-quality education. "While the federal government and state authorizers both have important roles to play in assuring quality, accrediting bodies are the true arbiters of quality in our higher education system," stated… Continue Reading
Scott, Bonamici, Murray, Warren Urge Secretary DeVos to Reinstate Student Loan Protections
04.26.17 (Washington, D.C.) -Led by Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), more than 130 Members of Congress sent a letter today to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos urging her to reverse a decision to rescind Obama-era memos on student loan servicing reforms. The reforms had included new consumer protections for borrowers and improvements to the quality of federal loan servicing. "Your decision to rescind these memos-including t… Continue Reading
Scott, Davis Request Study to Examine Ed Department’s Ability to Forgive Federal Loans of Public Servants
04.24.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Reps. Bobby Scott (VA-03), and Susan Davis (CA-53), the ranking members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the Subcommittee on Higher Education & Workforce Development, respectively, sent a letter to the Government Accountably Office, asking for more information on how the Department of Education implements the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Earlier today, Reps. Scott and Davis signed a separate letter asking U.S. Secretary of Educa… Continue Reading
Senate, House Education Committees Request Education Department Take Steps to Assist Students While Student Aid Tool Is Unavailable
03.27.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), the chair and ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, respectively, and Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Bobby Scott (D-VA), chair and ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, respectively, and 39 additional Members of the Senate and House Education committees, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today asking the Department to take action… Continue Reading
Davis: Financial Aid Programs Require Investment, Targeting
03.21.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53), Ranking Member of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, delivered the following statement during a hearing on federal student financial aid. Rep. Davis emphasized the need to expand access to higher education through robust investments in federal student aid. Key Excerpts from Rep. Davis' Remarks: "Since the Higher Education Act's enactment, the United States has made substantial progress in college access. Student of col… Continue Reading
Bonamici: Education Department Turns Back on Struggling Student Loan Borrowers
03.17.17 WASHINGTON, DC [03/17/17] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) released the following statement after the Department of Education rescinded guidance that prohibited imposing collection fees on borrowers who take action quickly to repay their defaulted loans: "Those who are struggling to pay their students loans can face lifelong consequences that will affect their ability to rent an apartment or buy a car if they go into default. We must create more opportunities to prevent individuals… Continue Reading
Scott, Foxx, Murray, Alexander Request Briefing from Department of Education on FAFSA Data Retrieval Tool Outage
03.16.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), the chair and ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, respectively, and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), chair and ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, respectively, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today asking for more information about the cause and scope of the outage of the Internal Revenue Services'… Continue Reading
Adams Statement on the Budget Blueprint’s Impact on HBCUs
03.16.17 WASHINGTON, DC -Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) released the following statement after the administration announced their "skinny" budget. "Less than three weeks ago, this administration claimed it is a priority to advocate for HBCUs but, after viewing this budget proposal, those calls ring hollow," said Congresswoman Adams. "This budget slashes critical funding for institutions, students, and their families. "With a 13% cut to federal education funding amounting to a nearly $4 billion rescis… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on President Trump’s FY18 Budget
03.16.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the White House released an outline of its Fiscal Year 2018 budget priorities, known as the "skinny budget." "This budget proposal is yet another broken promise from the Administration to the American people. Cutting $54 billion from programs that help protect and support working families to learn and earn is no way to grow the national economy or put people back to work. Working families deserve a budget … Continue Reading
Bonamici Defends Consumer Protections for Student Loan Borrowers
03.01.17 WASHINGTON, DC [03/01/17] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), the Vice Ranking Member of the Education Committee, stood up for student loan borrowers as the House passed a bill that threatens important federal protections for borrowers. The Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act creates an unbalanced process for repealing federal rules and jeopardizes important protections for workers, families, and the environment. Bonamici offered an ame… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Executive Order on HBCUs
02.28.17 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the President signed an executive order on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). "Every President since Jimmy Carter has issued an executive order to strengthen HBCUs, and it is encouraging that the White House is honoring this tradition. For more than 150 years, HBCUs have been the cornerstone of postsecondary education for African-American communities a… Continue Reading
Polis: CTE Programs Must Emphasize Equity, Provide Opportunity for All Students
02.28.17 WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, delivered the following statement during a hearing on career and technical education. Rep. Polis emphasized the need for a full bipartisan reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act. Key Excerpts from Rep. Polis' Remarks: "Unfortunately, after harmful sequestration cuts, public funding for CTE is at historic lows. It is c… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Trump Administration Rollback of LGBTQ Protections
02.22.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the White House announced that it will repeal the Obama Administration's Title IX guidance protecting the rights of transgender students. "The impact of the Trump Administration's repeal of the Title IX guidance leaves LGBTQ students in at least 31 states vulnerable to bullying and discrimination. A student's right to equal education should not be impeded by an unsafe learning environment. "Last May, the Obama… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Outline Higher Education Priorities at Hearing
02.07.17 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing to discuss our nation's higher education systems, and the need to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). Democrats remain committed to a bipartisan reauthorization of the HEA, and they believe quality higher education must be accessible and affordable to empower America's working families to succeed in our economy. "Democrats remain committed to a higher education system that has multiple pathways to attaining… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on DeVos Senate Confirmation
02.07.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Senate voted 51-50, to confirm Betsy DeVos as the United States Secretary of Education. "Our nation's next Secretary of Education is tasked with advancing a mission of equity, access, and accountability. That mission requires support for all students. Unfortunately, Betsy DeVos has failed to make a credible case that she will advocate for the 90 percent of students who attend our nation's public schools. No… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Obama Administration Actions to Protect Student Borrowers
01.13.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education announced automatic student loan discharges for borrowers who attended American Career Institute, a now-defunct college that admitted to breaking state law and purposely misleading students to pursue meaningless degrees and credentials. Former students who attended Corinthian Colleges Inc. and ITT Technical Institutions will also receive approvals for loan discharges in the coming wee… Continue Reading
Scott, Bonamici Statement on New Report Showing How Student Loan Servicing Problems Can Jeopardize Long-Term Financial Security for Older Americans
01.06.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) issued the following statement after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report that examines complaints from older student loan borrowers about servicing practices that can jeopardize their long-term financial security: "Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a new study about older borrowers who have student loan debt. Troublingly, the report exposed tha… Continue Reading
Scott Commends Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for Diligent Work to Eliminate Discriminatory Barriers
12.08.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued its annual report for FY 2016, and a summary of their work to advance educational equity from 2009-2016: "The Office for Civil Rights reports released today shows much progress has been made during the Obama Administration to expand educational opportunity across the nation for all students. However, challenges do remain. The Department of Education's… Continue Reading