Committee on Education and Workforce

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, wrote to U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to urge the Department of Education to extend the student loan payment pause until 2023 and use the intervening time to adopt meaningful and lasting reforms to the federal income-driven repayment (IDR) system—by finalizing a new, more generous IDR plan that is available to all federal student loan borrowers, and by correcting past harms by implementing a retroactive payment correction that delivers on the promise of loan relief for those enrolled in IDR.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Scott (VA-03) as well as members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Reps. Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Lois Frankel (FL-21) sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that the GAO conduct a study on minors under 18 years of age who serve as a primary or secondary caregiver for a family member, also known as caregiving youth. “Many caregiving youth assist parents or other relatives who are also caregiving. These youth face challenges balancing their caregiving responsibilities with their education, mental health, and wellbeing, yet they often do not have access to the resources and services available to adult family caregivers or other vulnerable youth populations, which are already limited,” the lawmakers wrote.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement applauding the Biden Administration for today’s announcement that the Department of Education will extend the pause on student loans through August 31, 2022. In addition, the Department is putting currently defaulted federal student loan borrowers into good standing and erasing the default from their credit history. “Across the country, borrowers are continuing to face the economic fallout of COVID-19.  By extending the pause on student loan repayments, collections, and interest accrual, the Biden-Harris Administration has demonstrated that it remains committed to helping borrowers get back on their feet.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration announced actions to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, including by eliminating one barrier – the “family glitch” – which has prevented some workers from accessing tax credits to purchase affordable coverage for their families. “Today’s announcement will expand access to affordable health care coverage to more than five million Americans. For 12 years, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has provided affordable, high-quality health care coverage to millions of people and, as a result, the uninsured rate has significantly declined. Despite its success, many workers and their families have been locked out of premium tax credits due to a previous interpretation of “affordable” by the Internal Revenue Service. By fixing this unintended glitch, the Administration is helping lower health care costs for millions of families.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 6833, the Affordable Insulin Now Act. “Today, the House took a critical step to ensure that Americans can get the affordable insulin they need. For people across the country, access to insulin can mean the difference between life and death. Yet, our nation’s consumers continue to face skyrocketing insulin costs. In just five years, the average retail price of insulin rose by more than 50 percent, leaving Americans to pay more than 10 times the price of insulin in similar, high-income countries. These excessive costs have real consequences on the lives and livelihoods of our constituents.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 2954, a  bipartisan proposal that makes critical improvements to our retirement system. “Madame Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2954, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022, which incorporates the bipartisan Retirement Improvement and Savings Enhancement Act – or RISE Act – that the Committee on Education and Labor approved by voice vote last fall.  I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Neal, for his work in incorporating this legislation in the SECURE 2.0.