Press Releases
Currently showing results related to K-12 Education
Ranking Member Bonamici Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on AI in Teacher Preparation
02.24.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Early Childhood and Secondary Education Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Building an AI-Ready America: Teaching in the AI Age.” “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses. It’s encouraging that there is a lot of common ground, Mr. Chairman, in the things you brought up today and the opportunities and the challenges. “We know that artificial intelligence is already b… Continue Reading
ECESE Ranking Member Bonamici Opening Remarks at Hearing on Parental Rights in Education
02.10.26 WASHINGTON - Early Childhood and Secondary Education Subcommittee (ECESE) Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) delivered the following opening statement at today’s ECESE Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Defending Faith and Families Against Government Overreach: Mahmoud v. Taylor.” “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here today. “Public K-12 schools across the country are, right now, facing a deluge of crises that affect the safety, security, and acad… Continue Reading
Education Leaders Propose Bill to Rebuild America’s Public Schools
02.04.26 WASHINGTON - Today, House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-03), Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01), and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced the Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2026. The legislation invests more than $130 billion in our schools’ physical and digital infrastructure, and the resources are targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff. “Chronic neglect of America’s public… Continue Reading
NEW: Government Watch Dog Report Reveals Students with Disabilities Still Face Challenges to Access Necessary Support
01.29.26 WASHINGTON - Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report examining the challenges schools are facing to make assistive technology available for students with disabilities. This report was requested by House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03). Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities are required to have access to assistive technology and services necessary to receive a fr… Continue Reading
Committee Republicans Advance Bills Weakening Accountability and Oversight of Charter Schools
01.21.26 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee Republicans voted to advanced two bills (H.R. 7082 and 7086) that weaken accountability, transparency, and long-standing protections for students in charter schools. H.R. 7082, the Fostering Learning and Excellence in Charter Schools (FLEX) Act, weakens oversight of the federal Charter Schools Program while redirecting funding away from classrooms. The bill expands vague allowable uses of federal funds and gives the Secretary of Education broad discretion over a si… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Delivers Opening Statement on the Importance of Congress Putting Guardrails on Artificial Intelligence
01.14.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks at today’s full committee hearing entitled “Building an AI-Ready America.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being with us today. “From chatbots to programming to grocery lists, artificial intelligence has rapidly integrated into the daily lives of millions of Americans, transforming how we interact with technology and the world around us. “Due to the rapid rise of AI technol… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Slams ED for Approving of Iowa’s K-12 Funding Waiver, and Hamstring ED’s Authority to Hold States Accountable
01.07.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Department of Education (ED) Secretary, Linda McMahon approved Iowa’s request to consolidate some federal aid into a single grant with little to no spending requirements. “The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) includes bipartisan accountability measures to ensure states provide all children with high-quality education that is not… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on the Appointment of Dr. Jeffery O. Smith as Virginia’s Next Secretary of Education
01.06.26 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger nominated Dr. Jeffery O. Smith to lead Virginia’s Department of Education. “I congratulate Dr. Jeffery O. Smith on his appointment to be Virginia’s new Secretary of Education. Dr. Smith has over 30 years of invaluable experience in public education, including service as the Superintendent of… Continue Reading
House and Senate Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Students from Dangerous Seclusion and Restraint Practices
12.12.25 WASHINGTON - House and Senate education leaders reintroduced the bipartisan Keeping All Students Safe Act to protect students from dangerous seclusion and restraint practices in school. In the House, the bill is sponsored by Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08), and Representative Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ-08). And in the Senate, it is sponsored by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (… Continue Reading
ECESE Ranking Member Bonamici Warns Culture War Distractions Will Undermine Student Privacy
12.03.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Safeguarding Student Privacy and Parental Rights: A Review of FERPA and PPRA.” “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here. “First and foremost, I want to make abundantly clear that parental engagement is important to student success. “It has been proven that when fam… Continue Reading
Seventy-Five House Members Sound the Alarm on the Negative Impact of ICE Raids on K-12 Students
11.25.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, and 73 House Democrats urged the Department of Education to use all available resources to support schools, students, and states affected by the Trump Administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement actions. Immigration raids at or near schools have been restricted for more … Continue Reading
ECESE Ranking Member Bonamici Speaks Out Against Efforts to Undermine Career and Technical Education
11.19.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Early Childhood and Secondary Education Subcommittee hearing entitled, "From Classroom to Career: Strengthening Skills Pathways Through CTE." “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses. I know we have both been looking forward to this hearing. “Mr. Chairman, I appreciate this hearing today where we can talk about the importance of career and technical education, which histori… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on ED Offloading Core Responsibilities
11.18.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, issued the following statement after the Department of Education (ED) announced it signed six additional interagency agreements. “The Trump Administration cannot close a federal agency without an act of Congress. Nevertheless, the Trump Administration is intent on breaking the law and dismantling the Department of Education (ED). Today’s announcement is part and parcel of the Trump Administr… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on the 2025 Nation’s Report Card
09.09.25 WASHINGTON - House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the National Center for Education Statistics released the 2025 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results for 8th grade science and 12th grade math and reading. “The latest Nation’s Report Card offers a troubling confirmation of what educators, students, and families have long been signaling: our schools were struggling to improve student outco… Continue Reading
Ranking Member DeSaulnier Opening Remarks at 10th Hearing on Antisemitism
09.09.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Unmasking Union Antisemitism.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome back to all the witnesses, thanks for being here. “Let’s start by saying, no one should be threatened, harassed, or attacked because of who they are, who they worship, or what they stand for. I agree we should do more to combat antisemitism in America. I a… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Bonamici Opening Remarks at ECESE Subcommittee Hearing on Reading and Math in K-12 Schools
09.03.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Early Childhood and Secondary Education Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Foundations First: Reclaiming Reading and Math through Proven Instruction.” “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here today. “Welcome back. I expect that we have all spent the previous month visiting, learning, and connecting with our constituents. And although we may disagree… Continue Reading
Trump Administration to Release Remaining Withheld Education Funding Following Pressure from House Democrats
07.25.25 WASHINGTON - After illegally withholding $7 billion in education funding approved by Congress, officials within the Trump Administration have announced they will release the remaining funds. The restored funding comes after pressure initially led by Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and House Democrats. This funding is typically released annually on July 1 and is at least 10 percent of federal K-12 funding in every state. The failure to release the full funding on time disrupted s… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on SCOTUS Greenlighting the Mass Firing of Education Department Employees
07.15.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court granted the Trump Administration’s request to temporarily pause an order by a federal judge in Massachusetts that would require the Department of Education to reinstate nearly 1,400 employees. “Once again, this Supreme Court has, without explanation, undermined our Constitution and the separation of powers. As Justice Sotomayor rightly … Continue Reading
House Democrats Demand Trump Administration Release $7 Billion in Illegally Withheld Education Funding
07.11.25 WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (GA-06) led 150 House Democrats in pressuring the Trump Administration to release almost $7 billion in illegally withheld, Congressionally-appropriated federal funding meant for education related programs such as after school programs, teacher training, and adult education. In a letter released today and co-led by Representative Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce; Representative Suzanne B… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Trump Administration Withholding Nearly $7 Billion in Funding to Schools
07.01.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Trump Administration notified schools it is effectively withholding nearly $7 billion in Congressionally appropriated federal funding. “With less than one day notice to grant recipients or to Congress, the Trump Administration inexplicably and unlawfully announced it is withholding billions of dollars in education funding from schools nationwide, i… Continue Reading