Press Releases
Scott, Neal Release New GAO Report on the Solvency of the Black Lung Trust Fund
06.04.18 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Committee on Education and the Workforce and Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), Committee on Ways and Means issued the following statements after the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report titled, "Black Lung Benefits Program: Options for Improving Trust Fund Finances." The Members requested the report to investigate the solvency of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund given the impending sunset of the coal tax rate at… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on May Jobs Report
06.01.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 223,000 jobs in May, with the unemployment rate at 3.8 percent. "The latest jobs report shows that while the employment numbers remain stable, workers are still not getting a fair return on their work. Despite a tightening job market, wage growth remains stubbornly sluggish. Today's report shows that while unemployment dropped to 3.8 percent, wag… Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders Call on Departments to Hold Off on Junk Insurance Rule and Redo Dubious Analysis
06.01.18 WASHINGTON -- Yesterday, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Richard Neal (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and … Continue Reading
Committee Democrats at Hearing: President Trump Has Broken His Promise to Workers
05.23.18 WASHINGTON - Today, at a Subcommittee on Workforce Protections hearing titled, "Regulatory Reform: Unleashing Economic Opportunity for Workers and Employers," Democrats identified several ways in which President Trump has broken his promise to America's workers. By delaying, weakening, and rolling back workplace protections, his administration is leaving workers even more vulnerable to wage theft, fatal accidents, and workplace discrimination. "Right out of the gate, the Trump administration ro… Continue Reading
In Secretary Devos’s First Appearance Before the Committee, Democrats Seek Answers on Conflicts of Interest, Support for For-Profit Colleges, and Attacks on Civil Rights
05.22.18 WASHINGTON - Today, in Secretary Betsy DeVos's first appearance before the Committee in her 16 months in office, Committee Democrats expressed deep concerns about the Department of Education's support for for-profit education, its numerous apparent conflicts of interest, and its efforts to undermine students' civil rights in schools and campuses across the country. Members used the rare opportunity to question Secretary DeVos to seek explanations for the Department's agenda, which has undermin… Continue Reading
Chu, Menendez, Scott, Lofgren Introduce Bicameral POWER ACT to Protect Immigrant Workers
05.22.18 WASHINGTON- Today, U.S. Representative Judy Chu and Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) introduced the Protecting Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation (POWER) Act in the House and Senate. The legislation will provide U Visa eligibility for immigrant workers who report unsafe or unfair labor practices. The bill will also strengthen labor agencies' investigative powers and allow a stay of removal and work authorization for workers who file a workplace claim. At a time of increasing workplace ra… Continue Reading
As Teacher Marches And Protests Sweep The Country, House & Senate Democratic Leaders Unveil New “Better Deal” Proposal To Provide Major Boost In Teacher Pay And Make Investments In America’s Schools
05.22.18 Washington, DC - Today House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), joined by Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers and Lily Eskelsen Garcia, President of the National Education Association, unveiled another critical tenet of their economic agenda, "A Better Deal." The proposal invests in the future of education by ensuring that teacher pay is boosted, sch… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott’s Statement on Supreme Court Decision Undermining Employees’ Rights to Collective Action
05.21.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Supreme Court issued its 5-4 decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis. "The National Labor Relations Act guarantees workers the right to collectively stand together to improve their wages and working conditions. However, today the Supreme Court ignored the plain text of the law and held that employers may force workers into signing arbitration agreements that waive the right to pursue work-related claims t… Continue Reading
Reps. Takano and Bonamici Raise Concerns about Conflict of Interest at the Office of Federal Student Aid
05.17.18 Washington, D.C. - Today, Reps. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), and two other Democrats sent a letter to Department of Education General Counsel Edward Muniz to inquire about the ethics and standards of conduct within the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA). The Office of Federal Student Aid releases billions of dollars in student aid each year. Since the majority of employees at FSA are career staff, they are not required to sign the ethics pledges that President Trump's pol… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Honor Brown v Board Anniversary by Highlighting Administration’s Attacks on Students’ Civil Rights
05.17.18 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee Democrats honored the 64th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision by expanding the focus of a hearing on data privacy to include a wide range of threats to students' rights and educational equity. While acknowledging the importance of protecting students' data, Democrats highlighted the Trump administration's actions to roll back protections for transgender students, rescind Obama-era guidance on combating sexual assault on campus, and halt… Continue Reading
On the Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, Top Democrats Introduce a Resolution to Affirm Support for Meaningful Enforcement of the Civil Rights Act
05.17.18 WASHINGTON - Today, on the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, Democratic leadership is unveiling a resolution affirming Congress's intent for the Trump administration to fully enforce federal civil rights law to advance equal opportunity in education. The original co-sponsors include Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary, as well as all Members … Continue Reading
Bipartisan Lawmakers Challenge Education Department’s Attempt to Block State Consumer Protection Laws
05.16.18 WASHINGTON, DC [05/16/18] - Today Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Rob Bishop (R-UT), Jared Polis (D-CO), and Mia Love (R-UT) challenged the Department of Education to reconsider its decision to block states from regulating student loan companies. "States have a historic role in consumer protection regulation, including protecting residents from predatory, unfair, and deceptive business practices," the lawmakers wrote. "The Department's interpretation, if implemented, would preempt stat… Continue Reading
Members Discuss Bipartisan Retirement Savings Solutions, Press for Further Action to Ensure All Americans Can Retire with Dignity
05.16.18 WASHINGTON - Today, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing titled, "Enhancing Retirement Security: Examining Proposals to Simplify and Modernize Retirement Plan Administration." The hearing focused on four bipartisan retirement savings bills: Retirement Security for American Workers Act (H.R. 854), Retirement Plan Modernization Act (H.R. 4158), Increasing Access to a Secure Retirement Act of 2017 (H.R. 4604), and the Receiving Electronic Statements to I… Continue Reading
Top Democrats Urge Department of Education to Maintain Rule Intended to End Harmful Practices for Students of Color and Children with Disabilities
05.14.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions submitted a public comment to Assistant Secretary Johnny Collett, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, to express their strong objection to any delay of the "Equity in IDEA" rule. This rule is intended to reduce the over- and under-identification of students of color in special education,… Continue Reading
Bonamici Stands Up for Students of Color, Equity in Education
05.14.18 WASHINGTON, DC [05/14/18] - Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education Committee, stood up for students of color who are disproportionately identified for special education services, placed in more restrictive classroom settings, and disciplined at higher rates than their same-age white peers with disabilities. Bonamici pressed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to protect and promote the civil rights of all students and promptly enforce the Equity in Individuals with Disabili… Continue Reading
Closing the CFPB’s Office for Students is Reckless and Harmful
05.09.18 his morning, the Trump administration announced it is dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau office that protects student borrowers from fraud. Roughly 42 million Americans owe more than $1.5 trillion in student loans. Here is how Committee Democrats responded: Vice Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01): "The Trump Administration has once again shown that it cares more about corporate interests than it does about the interests of students who are trying to afford higher educat… Continue Reading
Rep. Takano Statement on Mulvaney’s Unconscionable Decision to Close the Office for Students at the CFPB
05.09.18 Washington, D.C. - Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement in response the announcement from Acting Director Mick Mulvaney to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) Office for Students and Young Consumers. "The Office for Students and Young Consumers is a vital resource we should be expanding rather than closing. It is the only entity within the federal government entirely focused on protecting young consumers. To date, it has helped return over $750 mi… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Susan Davis Statement on Closing the CFPB’s Office for Students and Young Consumers
05.09.18 WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Susan Davis, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, released the following statement on the move by interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Mick Mulvaney to shut down the Office for Students and Young Consumers. "Once again, this administration has chosen to undermine the financial security and consumer rights of students. Shutting down the CFPB's Office for Students and Young Consumers signals a clea… Continue Reading
Bonamici Slams Mulvaney for Closing CFPB Office for Students
05.09.18 WASHINGTON, DC [05/09/18] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, made the following statement after Acting Director Mick Mulvaney announced that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will be closing its Office for Students and Young Consumers: "The Trump Administration has once again shown that it cares more about corporate interests than it does about the interests of students who are trying to afford higher education. … Continue Reading
As Demand for Skilled Workers Rises, Committee Democrats Push to Restore Public and Private Support for Training and Education
05.09.18 WASHINGTON - Today, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing to discuss the role of the public and private sector in supporting education and workforce training to meet the rising demand for skilled workers. The hearing, "Closing the Skills Gap: Private sector solutions for America's workforce," comes at a time of declining private sector investment in worker training and significant cuts to federal funding for workforce development. Researchers estimate tha… Continue Reading