Education is of Great Importance to Congressional Black Caucus, Congress, and Constituents

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following: opening remarks from civil rights forum on trump's attacks on students, workers, and families

We have seen this Administration attack diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the federal government and, by extension, in schools, workplaces, and public services and research--attacks on civil rights that we have not seen since the 1960's.

DEI, regrettably, has been attacked by the Republicans and this Administration to erase contributions and accomplishments of so many Americans. We have seen the Administration remove references to Jackie Robinson's military participation. References to women in health care research or women who served at the CIA have been erased. References to the plane which carried the first nuclear bomb in World War II, the Enola Gay, because artificial intelligence flagged it as a reference to the LGBTQ+ community, so they wanted that erased along with everything else. And now, they are attempting to ``rewrite history'' with the latest executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institute. Specifically, the Executive Order singles out the African American History Museum for its ``corrosive ideology.'' Before these relatively recent attacks, diversity itself had been the goal--in fact, the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 said that segregation of children in public schools, solely on the basis of race, denies the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities, even though the physical facilities and tangible factors may be equal. Regrettably President Trump, during his last administration, appointed dozens of judges who, during their confirmation hearings, refused to say whether Brown v. Board was properly decided.

Last week, the President signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education--a department that was created to ensure that students' civil rights were protected. The Department actually does very little in education--most of its work is civil rights, guaranteeing rights of low-income students. Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: money in low-income areas to offset the effect of funding education with the real estate tax, guaranteeing that low-income areas will be at a disadvantage, so we put money in Title I. ED helps low-income students, racial minorities, dealing with achievement gaps, English as a Second Language, and students with disabilities. On higher education, they deal with access, Pell grants, and student loans. Some of the proponents of the elimination of the Department of Education campaign on the slogan of `states' rights.' We remember that campaign was used in the 1960's by those who wanted to maintain segregation.

The Trump Administration's war on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are not just limited to education. It prompted a purge of federal agencies of employees who supported DEI initiatives, culminating in the unprecedented firing of EEOC Commissioners. Without their presence, the EEOC actually lacks a quorum and is essentially unable to protect the rights of workers whose rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act have been violated.

Similarly, President Trump rescinded Executive Order 11246, which has been the cornerstone of civil rights protections in federal contracting since the 1960's. This Executive Order ensures that federal contractors must take affirmative action to ensure that they are not discriminating against workers based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. These actions ensured that taxpayer dollars were not being used to fund discrimination.

But despite the President's reckless actions and the acquiescence of congressional Republicans, we need to assure the public that many are still fighting for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Now, this is not just a fight in Congress. That is why we have asked these organizations here today to remind us why civil rights need to be protected and to tell us what they are specifically doing to combat those attacks.

Let's be clear: We are not here to do what I call ``celebrating the problem.'' We know what this Administration has done, and we know what this Administration is doing. We want to let the public know what we are specifically doing to fight back, and know how the public can join into that fight.

opening statement at education and workforce full committee hearing entitled, ``the state of american education''

I would first like to start with the elephant in the room. There is current reporting that President Trump plans to issue an executive order to eliminate critical programs at the Department of Education and call on Congress to eliminate the entire department. But then I recall that that's exactly what Project 2025 said the president should do--it said that on page 319 of Project 2025.

The irony is not lost on me that we are here to discuss the ``state of American education'' while the current Administration is actively discussing how to dismantle the main federal agency responsible for ensuring safe, quality education for all students. According to polls, the majority of voters oppose the abolition of the Department of Education. I also know that I, and every Democrat, will do what we can to ensure the Department continues.

Now to the issue at hand. As reflected in the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data, schools are struggling to make up for lost time in the classroom following the COVID-19 pandemic. Achievement gaps, which existed before the pandemic, have widened. According to that assessment, math and reading gaps between higher- and lower-performing students continue to rise, as Black students continue to be more than 10 points behind their white peers in all subjects.

In 2021, Democrats passed the largest one-time investment in education in the history of the United States in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), to provide schools with the resources they needed to reopen classrooms safely and make up for lost time due to the pandemic. Without this investment, we would undoubtedly be in a worse situation today. However, the American Rescue Plan Act was only a band-aid on the larger issue of underfunding in schools. It is abundantly clear that we need sustained federal investment over time to overcome decades of underfunding.

Unfortunately, instead of investing in our children, Republicans are stuck on proposals that will only create more challenges for students. Consider that the first education bill we considered this Congress targets--indeed bullies--transgender youth. Also, my Republican colleagues have misrepresented programs intended to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion as a problem in education. Republicans have threatened to ban books, police bathrooms, and take away funds from communities that need them most. Simply put, the Administration is promoting a warped version of DEI--discrimination, erasure, and inequity.

This all serves to distract Americans so that they will not notice the privatization of the American education system with taxpayer funds going to private schools, the resegregation of public schools, the erosion of services for students with disabilities, cuts to the student loan program, and distracts from the price of eggs going up. And while some folks may be hollering about imagined ``DEI problems,'' many in the public will fail to notice how the taxpayers' money is being siphoned away from public education and the student loan program to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected.

And so, Mr. Chairman, I know that we can all agree that every student in this country should have access to a safe, welcoming, and well- funded learning environment. That begins with eliminating disparities in education with sustained federal funding. This Congress, Committee Democrats will reintroduce legislation such as:

the Rebuild America's Schools Act, which would make a critical investment to repair and rebuild school facilities--particularly in high-need areas.

the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act, which would restore the private right of action for students, parents, and local civil rights groups to bring discrimination claims based on disparate impact under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

And the Strength in Diversity Act, which would provide resources to states or school districts that want to voluntarily develop plans to integrate their schools.

We have to take steps to lower the cost of higher education for students and families. To that end, we'll also reintroduce the Lowering Obstacles to Achievement Now (LOAN) Act, which would lower the cost of college for current and future student borrowers and their families by making critical reforms to the student aid system, including doubling the Pell Grant, improving the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and making loans more affordable and accessible.

Allow me, to that end, to promise to my colleagues and students across the country, that we will not go along with programs to dismantle our education system. We will fight any attempt to dismantle the Department. We don't know what the plan will be, but count on our opposition to any plan that will abolish the Department of Education and the programs in it. To that end, Democrats will always be for the wellbeing of students, teachers, and parents across the country.

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