Press Releases
Scott Statement on President Trump’s FY18 Budget
05.23.17 WASHINGTON – Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the White House released its Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal that cuts $9 billion from the Department of Education, slashes funding for the Department of Labor by 20 percent, and diminishes the Department of Health and Human Services’ ability to deliver early learning programs and health care for the American people. “A budget is a reflectio… Continue Reading
House Passes Bill to Enhance Protections for Missing and Exploited Children
05.23.17 WASHINGTON - The House today passed the Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act (H.R. 1808) by a voice vote. Introduced by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, the bill updates the Missing Children's Assistance Act to strengthen national efforts to recover and protect missing and exploited children. Members issued the following statements: "Updating the law for the National Center fo… Continue Reading
House Passes Bill to Enhance Opportunity for Vulnerable Youth, Improve Juvenile Justice
05.23.17 WASHINGTON - Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017 by voice vote. Introduced by Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN) the bipartisan legislation reauthorizes and reforms the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) to help state and local leaders better serve juvenile offenders and at-risk youth. "Today's bipartisan work in the House brings us one step closer to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeli… Continue Reading
Rep. Mark Takano Condemns Trump Proposal to Eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
05.23.17 Washington, DC - Representative Mark Takano (D-CA) today condemned the proposal in the Trump Administration's FY2018 budget to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and reassign its responsibilities to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Though both are tasked with addressing civil rights issues related to employment, the purposes of the OFCCP and the EEOC are distinct. The OFCCP ensures that federal contractors comply with federal standards relate… Continue Reading
Bonamici Slams Trump Budget
05.23.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Vice Ranking Member of the Education and the Workforce Committee and Top Democrat on the Environment Subcommittee, issued the following statement on President Trump's Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal: "A budget is a statement of values and priorities. President Trump's proposed budget says more clearly than ever that his values and priorities do not align with those of America's working families. The budget slashes Medicaid health care pro… Continue Reading
Blunt Rochester Statement on Trump’s Budget
05.23.17 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL), a member of both the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Agriculture, issued the following statement on the proposed budget from President Trump: "While President Trump's proposed budget should reflect our values, strengthen our economy and improve our quality of life, it, unfortunately, serves only to undermine and weaken the future of working families. Slashing funding for education and agriculture programs is an … Continue Reading
At Hearing, Committee Democrats Oppose Efforts to Weaken Workplace Discrimination Safeguard
05.23.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing on "The Need for More Responsible Regulatory and Enforcement Policies at the EEOC." More than 50 years after the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Commission continues to perform vital work combatting discrimination and advancing civil rights in the workplace. In its nearly 52-year existence, the EEOC has played a crucial role in laws that protect workers from discrimination on the job.… Continue Reading
Polis Statement on Trump/DeVos Education Budget
05.23.17 WASHINGTON: Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., gave the following statement today after President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2018 Budget that included massive cuts to public education. "The destructive funding proposals only further inequities in education. The budget would take precious Title I dollars, our program to support our neediest students and schools, and re-direct them to wealthier schools and unaccountable private schools. Moreover, the budget undermines innovative programs and flies i… Continue Reading
Committee Republicans Continue Efforts to Endanger Retiree Savings
05.18.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled "Regulatory Barriers Facing Workers and Families Saving for Retirement." Subcommittee Democrats stand ready to work on meaningful bipartisan solutions to help Americans achieve a secure and dignified retirement. Unfortunately, Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration's policies and priorities are the actual 'barriers facing working people and families saving for retirement' - no… Continue Reading
Scott, Conyers Introduce Bill to Address Racial Inequities in Public Education
05.17.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Committee on the Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) introduced the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act (EIEA). This legislation would empower parents and communities to address - through robust enforcement - racial inequities, including inequities in access to educational resources, in public education. Today marks the 63rd anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in th… Continue Reading
On Anniversary of Brown, Democrats Unveil Legislation to Invest in Schools, Create Jobs
05.17.17 WASHINGTON - Today, on the 63rd anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Representative Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and House Democrats introduced H.R. 2475 The Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2017. This legislation highlights the need for bold investment in school infrastructure as a means to achieve greater educational equity, while breathing new life into communities and creating jobs. "No child should learn, and n… Continue Reading
Committee Advances Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Career and Technical Education
05.17.17 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and the Workforce approved H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. Introduced by Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) and Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-05), the bipartisan legislation will strengthen and improve career and technical education (CTE). Thanks to legislative improvements to increase program accountability, including increased federal oversight and monitoring, the bill passed today is an improvement o… Continue Reading
Davis, Scott, Hirono, Murray Introduce Major Legislation to Secure Pell Grant Program and Make College More Affordable for Low-Income Students
05.16.17 WASHINGTON, D.C.- Representatives Susan Davis (D-Calif.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va), and Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced the Pell Grant Preservation & Expansion Act today that will expand and permanently safeguard the Pell Grant program, helping millions of low-income students offset the rising costs of college. The bill would improve the purchasing power of Pell Grants, permanently index the maximum grant to inflation, shift the Pell Grant program to fu… Continue Reading
House Democrats Launch Higher Education Campaign
05.15.17 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Ranking Member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, and Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53), the Ranking Member of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, launched "Aim Higher," a campaign where House Democrats will put forth bold policy solutions to make higher education work for all students. "For most Americans, education after high school is a necessity, not simply a desire," said Ranking Member Scott. "It … Continue Reading
NELP Applauds Federal Legislation on Accurate Workplace Safety Records
05.15.17 Washington, DC - Following is a statement from Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, in response to legislation being introduced today in the House and Senate that would restore the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's ability to enforce requirements for larger employers in the most dangerous industries to keep accurate records of serious workplace injuries: "The Accurate Workplace Injury and Illness Restoration Act is critical to ensuring the he… Continue Reading
National COSH Backs Legislation to Prevent Employers From Hiding Workplace Injuries
05.15.17 SAN DIEGO, CA - The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) said today that new legislation to prevent employers from hiding workplace injuries is crucial to protecting the health and safety of America's workers. "You can't fix a problem if you don't know it exists," said Jessica Martinez, co-executive director of National COSH. "It's critical to support legislation that will hold employers accountable when they try to hide crucial information about workplace hazard… Continue Reading
Takano, Murray, Courtney, Scott, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Protect Workers
05.15.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Congressmen Mark Takano (CA-41), Joe Courtney (CT-02), and Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the "Accurate Workplace Injury & Illness Records Restoration Act." This legislation would reinstate the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) reco… Continue Reading
Civil Rights, Education, and Research Groups: OMB Must Maintain Critical Data Collection on Preschool Suspension
05.11.17 WASHINGTON - Today, 149 national, state and local groups urged the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to maintain the question about preschool/childcare suspension and expulsion in the 2017 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). This data fills a crucial gap in the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) by including data from parents whose children are not in public preschools and contributes to public understanding of the scope, frequency, and racially disproportionate use of … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Don Blankenship’s Release from Prison
05.10.17 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after Don Blankenship, the former CEO of Massey Energy, was released from prison after being convicted for conspiracy to violate federal mine safety laws that stemmed from the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion in West Virginia that claimed that lives of 29 miners. "The release of the former Massey CEO who served the maximum possible sentence of only one year for willfully violat… Continue Reading
Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Prohibit School 'Lunch Shaming'
05.08.17 WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), along with Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) introduced bipartisan companion bills in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to prohibit schools from discriminating against or stigmatizing children who have outstanding credit or don't have eno… Continue Reading