Committee on Education and Workforce

WASHINGTON — Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, urged the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Gene Dodaro to investigate President Trump’s use of Reduction in Force (RIF) actions during the government shutdown. The letter follows attempts from President Trump to lay off thousands of federal employees based not only on funding lapses, but also on whether their work aligned with the President’s political agenda. This was an unprecedented action that likely violates both the Constitution and federal law.

WASHINGTON – Seventy House Democrats introduced the WIC Benefits Protection Act. This bill guarantees funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and ensures that eligible families will still receive critical nutrition assistance regardless of partisan gridlock or lapses in government funding. Currently, the program supports nearly 7 million women, infants, and children—almost 40 percent of all infants in the United States. WIC has a proven track record of success in improving health outcomes and reducing food insecurity. However, as Republicans continue to draw out the shutdown, states, territories, and tribal organizations may be forced to pause services, leaving pregnant women and babies without access to healthy food or access to health services.

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) did not release a jobs report due to the government shutdown. “Workers, economists, and businesses rely on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports to understand the health of our economy and the labor market. Without the September jobs report, policymakers and the public are denied an opportunity to understand the challenges facing the American economy.

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) urged Department of Agriculture Secretary (USDA) Brooke Rollins to minimize disruption of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during a government shutdown and to provide clarity to states to ensure that families are not unnecessarily turned away. Roughly half a million pregnant women and nearly 40 percent of all infants in the United States rely on WIC.

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education announced it will not disburse any Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Title III or V discretionary funds in FY2025. “A college degree remains the surest path to financial stability. This is particularly true for low-income students and students of color whose educational and workforce opportunities have historically been limited by intergenerational poverty and systemic racism.

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 outcomes long before the COVID-19 pandemic and are still struggling to fully recover from the academic disruptions of the pandemic. These declines reinforce the urgent need for sustained federal investment in academic recovery and educational equity.

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 22,000 jobs in August, and the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.2 percent to 4.3 percent. “Today’s jobs report confirms what millions of working families already know: that today’s economy is not working for them. For the first time since the pandemic, there are more unemployed Americans than available job openings.

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, once again called on Chairman Tim Walberg, House Committee on Education and Workforce, to immediately hold an oversight hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS or the Department) layoffs and the Department’s proposed reorganization.  This request follows a series of layoffs at HHS, including employees from vital programs that support older adults and people with disabilities.