Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Higher Education
HEWD Ranking Member Adams Remarks on Prioritizing Students and Educators Over the Interests of AI Companies
06.03.26 WASHINGTON - Higher Education and Workforce Development (HEWD) Ranking Member Alma Adams (NC-12) delivered the following opening statement at today’s HEWD Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Building an AI-Ready America: Higher Education in the Age of AI.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer theoretical. Students are using it. Faculty are using it. Universities are adopting it. Employers are expecting familiarity… Continue Reading
House Democrats Urge ED to Protect Student Borrowers from Fraudulent, Predatory Programs
05.21.26 WASHINGTON - House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development Ranking Member Alma S. Adams (NC-12), along with their colleagues, called on the Department of Education (ED) to hold colleges and universities more accountable for their students' success. In a letter to Secretary Linda McMahon, Members pushed back on a proposed rule that would change how schools report whether their graduates are actual… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott’s Remarks at ED Secretary McMahon Hearing
05.14.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks at today’s full committee hearing entitled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. “And thank you, Secretary McMahon, for your testimony today to discuss the Department’s priorities and the effect this budget will have on students, teachers, and families. “When you last testified before this Committee in June 2025, I remarked that the Department… Continue Reading
Scott, Adams Demand FSA Leadership Testify about Implementation of the ‘Big, Ugly Bill’
05.11.26 WASHINGTON— Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Ranking Member Alma Adams (NC-12), House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development (HEWD), requested Chairman Tim Walberg (MI-05), House Committee on Education and Workforce, hold an oversight hearing with the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) leadership and its ability to serve students and borrowers. In the letter, they detail how mass layoffs and other efforts to ill… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Questions Chair Walberg if He Intends to Hold a Hearing on Young Republicans Antisemitic Activity
05.08.26 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, flagged for Chairman Tim Walberg recent reports of antisemitic activity connected to college-affiliated Republican groups. In addition to bringing this activity to the Chairman’s attention, Ranking Member Scott asked Chairman Walberg whether the Committee intended to take any action related to this activity. Ranking Member Scott cited multiple reported incidents, including students af… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Criticizes Education Department for Raising Student Loan Payments and Limiting Access to Higher Education
04.30.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Department of Education finalized a rule titled “Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE),” which implements changes to the student loan program that Republicans’ passed in the ‘Big, Ugly Bill.’ “The Department of Education’s final student loan rule will put getting a college degree out of reach for millions of students, particularly for l… Continue Reading
HEWD Ranking Member Adams Defends Students Rights to Free Speech on College Campuses
04.29.26 WASHINGTON - Higher Education and Workforce Development (HEWD) Ranking Member Alma Adams (NC-12) delivered the following opening statement at today’s HEWD Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Speech or Silence? The Future of the First Amendment in Higher Education.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I want to thank our witnesses for being here today. “Let me start with a point that I think everyone on this dais should agree on. Every student is entitled to the full protection of their First Amendment a… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Pushes ED to Protect Students in Workforce Pell Expansion
04.09.26 WASHINGTON - House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott urged Secretary of the Department of Education Linda McMahon to strengthen oversight and accountability in response to the Department of Education’s (ED) proposed Workforce Pell Grant rule, which implements the newly authorized expansion of Federal Pell Grants to students enrolled in certain short-term certificate programs. Ranking Member Scott emphasized that expanding Pell Grants to short-term programs… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on ED Leaving LBJ Headquarters After 40 Years
03.26.26 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) announced that the Trump Administration will turn ED's Lyndon B. Johnson headquarters building over to the Department of Energy. “This is one of the most overt actions by Secretary McMahon to dismantle the Department of Education (ED) and disregard the law, federal courts, and Congress. The Trump Administration cannot un… Continue Reading
ECESE Ranking Member Bonamici Delivers Opening Statement on Rising Costs of Higher Education and Impact of Dismantling ED
03.26.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, delivered the following remarks at today’s full committee hearing entitled “U.S. Universities Under Siege: Foreign Espionage, Stolen Innovation, and the National Security Threat.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here today. “A college degree remains a sure path to the American Dream, and it’s the most reliable engine of economic mobility… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on ED Transferring Defaulted Student Loans to Treasury
03.19.26 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 intended to sign an additional interagency agreement to transfer partial responsibility for handling student loans in default to the Treasury Department. “Since the Trump Administration returned to Washington, Secretary McMahon has executed President Trump’s goal to dismantle the Department of Education (ED) t… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Omar Opening Remarks at Workforce Protections Subcommittee Hearing on Workers’ Compensation Programs
03.18.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Strengthening Federal Workers' Compensation Programs: Ensuring Integrity, Efficiency, and Access.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. “At its core, workers’ compensation represents a fundamental promise to the people whose work makes this country function. To the federal employees [who] deliver our … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Frustrated Republicans Prioritizing Messaging Bills Over Lowering Costs
03.17.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee markup of H.R.7894, 7890,7892, 7891, 7893, 7661, and 6084. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. “Mr. Chairman, hardworking Americans are finding that a comfortable, affordable life is increasingly out of reach. The cost of health care, groceries, child care, student loans, gasoline, and housing — all of those costs continue to rise while workers are being left behind. According … Continue Reading
NEWS: GAO Report Finds Trump’s Dismantling of the Education Department Leaves 43 Million Borrowers Without Support
03.11.26 WASHINGTON — According to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the Trump administration’s efforts to fire hundreds of workers at the Department of Education (ED) have undermined the accuracy of student loan borrower records and have failed to hold servicers accountable for providing high-quality customer service to America’s 43 million student loan borrowers. Commissioned by Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Ranking… Continue Reading
House Democrats Slam Proposals to Exacerbate the Student Loan Crisis
03.03.26 WASHINGTON - Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), led over 85 House Democrats’ opposition to the Department of Education’s proposed rule on federal student loans. The proposed rule, titled “Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE),” implements changes that Republicans’ “Big Ugly Law” made to the federal student loan program in the Higher Education Act of 1965, including new graduate loan limits and the elimination of affordable repayment opt… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Universities Capitulating to the Trump Administration’s Illegal Demands
02.20.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Department of Education announced 31 resolution agreements with institutions of higher education to cease their partnerships with The Ph.D. Project. The agreements reportedly also require the institutions to audit partnerships they have with other organizations that “restrict participation based on race.” “In 2025, roughly 24 percent of Business Ph.… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Hosts Event on Consequences of Dismantling the Department of Education
02.11.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, hosted a rogue event on the impact of the Trump administration’s decision to dismantle the Department of Education (ED) and what’s at stake for students, schools, and parents. The Trump administration’s illegal dismantling of the ED has already proven inefficient and wasteful, and has negatively impacted student success. The Members were joined by Ray Li, Policy Counsel at the NAACP Legal De… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Adams Remarks on College Affordability Crisis
02.04.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Alma Adams (NC-12) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Runaway College Spending Meets the Working Families Tax Cuts.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. “As this committee’s first Higher Education and Workforce hearing of the year, I’m glad we’re starting by focusing on what is top of mind for Americans across this country — rising … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Votes for ‘Labor-H’ Funding Bill
01.22.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the House passed the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-H) funding bill. “I applaud Ranking Member DeLauro and Vice Chair Murray for their work to secure funding for many of our shared priorities in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-H) funding bill. Moreover, this bill is a s… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Slams Republican Bill to Keep Pregnant Students in the Dark About Their Rights
01.22.26 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, House Committee on Education and Workforce, spoke in opposition to H.R. 6359, the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, which would provide pregnant students with a limited set of resources and information regarding their rights and protections. Watch Ranking Member Scott’s remarks on YouTube. “Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 6359, the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act. “This bill requires schools to provide pregnant students with … Continue Reading