Press Releases
Top Democrats Urge NLRB to Protect Workers’ Due Process in McDonald’s Case
03.13.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Education and Workforce Committee, along with top Democrats, sent a letter to Peter Robb, General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), requesting that he resume the litigation of the McDonald's case. The General Counsel decided to pursue settlement of the McDonald's case - with only a handful of days remaining before the close of hearings. "[W]e are troubled that your decision to prematurely suspend this litiga… Continue Reading
Bonamici: Students Need Education Leader Who Will Stand Up for All Students
03.12.18 WASHINGTON, DC [03/12/18] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education Committee, released the following statement after a '60 Minutes' interview in which Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos continued to tout her school privatization schemes despite any evidence of their success. "The Secretary of Education must be a champion for all our students - including the more than 50 million who attend public schools. Betsy DeVos' singular focus on privatizing public educatio… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Trump’s Proposal to Arm Teachers and Harden Schools
03.12.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Trump administration released their proposals for school safety. "Yesterday's school safety proposals from the Trump administration are both inadequate and concerning. The administration has misplaced its focus on arming school personnel and dismantling civil rights protections for students instead of offering meaningful, evidence-based solutions to gun violence prevention. Our students and families do not … Continue Reading
Bonamici Stands Up for Student Loan Borrowers, State Consumer Protection Laws
03.09.18 WASHINGTON, DC [03/09/18] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and a former consumer protection attorney, issued the following statement after the Department of Education announced its plans to block states from regulating student loan servicers and debt collectors: "It is unacceptable that Education Secretary DeVos and the Department of Education are trying to interfere with the rights of states to protect student loan borrowers fr… Continue Reading
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Denounces Betsy DeVos’ Decision to Block Protections For Americans With Student Loans
03.09.18 SCHAUMBURG, IL - Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the Committee on Education and the Workforce issued the following statement in response to the Department of Education's decision to block states from enforcing consumer protections against student loan collection companies: "Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' decision to strip states of their ability to protect Americans from fraud and abuse in student loans is unprecedented and poses serious challenges for working and middle-class fa… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on February Jobs Report
03.09.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 313,000 jobs in February, with the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.1 percent. "Today's job report shows the economy has built on the progress of the previous administration by adding almost as many jobs in 13 months as the number of jobs added in the last 13 months of the Obama administration. However, even though the economy is generating new jo… Continue Reading
Trump Administration Usurps State Law on Student Loans
03.09.18 Washington: Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., gave the following statement after the U.S. Dept. of Education usurped states by saying that federal student loan servicers do not have to comply with state law to protect students from predatory student loan lenders. "The Trump Administration is more worried about protecting fraudulent student loan companies than students themselves. This is an attempt to take away a state's right to protect students, giving student loan servicers free reign to scam the… Continue Reading
Rep. Takano: Education Department Betrays Students…Again
03.09.18 Washington, D.C. - Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement in response to the Department of Education's "notice of interpretation" that exempts federal student loan servicers from state regulation. "The Trump administration's attempt to block states from holding unethical student loan companies accountable is a disgraceful escalation of its attack on students and the integrity of the higher education system. At a time when 42 million Americans owe roughly $1.4 trillion in f… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on ED Prioritizing Profits Over People
03.09.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education (ED) published a 'notice of interpretation' of state's rights to protect federal student loan borrowers. "In recent years, there have been numerous credible claims of servicing failures stemming from potentially unethical practices and purposeful misinformation provided to student loan borrowers. States under both Democratic and Republican leadership have rightly increased their inve… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Urge DOL to Withdraw Harmful Rule on AHPs
03.06.18 WASHINGTON - All 17 Democratic Members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce sent a public comment letter to Secretary R. Alexander Acosta urging the Department of Labor (DOL) to withdraw its proposed rule that would put comprehensive and affordable coverage for small businesses and their employees at risk. The Members expressed concerns that the Department's proposed rule to expand Association Health Plans (AHPs) would limit access to comprehensive health coverage, make it difficult f… Continue Reading
Scott: ED OIG Confirms H.R.4508 Makes College More Expensive for Students
03.06.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement after the Department of Education (ED) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released their recommendations for H.R.4508. "Independent analysis continues to confirm what we have said about H.R. 4508 from the beginning, it makes college more expensive for students and is a wish list for for-profit schools. Our claim that it will make college more expensive was … Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Promote Bold Solution to Ensure Universal Access to Quality Child Care for Working Families
03.06.18 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education (ECESE) held a hearing entitled, "Strengthening Welfare to Work with Child Care." Across the country, far too many working families lack access to affordable, high-quality child care. In many states, the cost of child care is higher than the cost of attending college. This makes it difficult for parents to balance the costs of child care with holding down a good-paying job and providing for their family.… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Condemns DeVos for Prioritizing Privatization
03.05.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement after the Department of Education announced their final list of priorities last Friday, March 2, 2018. "As with many recent actions by the Department, I am deeply disappointed with Friday's announcement. I am disappointed by the Secretary's failure to heed the advice of many commenters, including Members of Congress, who urged her to abandon school privatiz… Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders Introduce Bill to Increase Affordability & Undo the Administration’s Sabotage of the ACA
03.05.18 WASHINGTON -- TODAY, the three Democratic leaders of the Committees with jurisdiction over health care introduced a comprehensive bill that would improve the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces by making health care more affordable and by reversing the harmful Trump administration actions that have sabotaged the ACA. The legislation was introduced by Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Ways and Means … Continue Reading
Rep. Takano Slams Proposal to Shield Unethical Student-Loan Debt Collectors from Accountability
02.28.18 Washington, D.C. - Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement in response to reports that the Department of Education is moving forward with plans to issue a rule blocking states from regulating unethical student-loan debt collectors. "When a company deceives a student about their student loan options, it puts that student's entire financial and educational future in jeopardy. That is why dozens of states, including my home state of California, have taken action to protect stu… Continue Reading
Bonamici Blasts Department of Education for Blocking State Consumer Protection Laws
02.27.18 WASHINGTON, DC [02/27/18] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after reports that the Department of Education is planning to block states from regulating student loan collection companies: "After rolling back consumer protections for student loan borrowers at the federal level, Education Secretary DeVos is now trying to prevent states from taking action to protect their residents from fraud and abuse.… Continue Reading
Scott & Murray on the Rollback of Civil Rights for Students with Disabilities, Students of Color
02.27.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for a two year delay of the Equity in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) rule, which addresses disproportionate identification, placeme… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Call on OSHA to Prioritize Worker Safety
02.27.18 WASHINGTON - Today, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing entitled, "A More Effective and Collaborative OSHA: A View from Stakeholders." Congressional Republicans and this Administration have taken numerous actions that are jeopardizing worker safety and health protections. Under the current administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has terminated or suspended work on nearly half of the proposed safety and health standards that were under develop… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Urges Majority to Hold Hearings on Member Emanuel’s Conflict of Interests
02.23.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, sent a letter Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05), chairwoman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, requesting that the Majority hold a hearing regarding the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) Inspector General's seven-day letter. The Inspector General's letter notified Committee leadership of "a serious and flagrant problem and/or deficiency in the Board's administration of it… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Appointment to Special Congressional Committee Addressing Multiemployer Pension Crisis
02.23.18 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after being appointed by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to the Joint Select Committee on the Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans (Joint Select Committee). Ranking Member Scott is one of only 16 Members of Congress to be appointed to it. Established by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the Joint Select Committee is responsible for putting forward solutions to Congress be… Continue Reading