Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House passed the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) omnibus spending bill. 

“Today, the House passed a government funding package that will improve the lives of students, workers, and families. 

“I am particularly pleased the package makes sizable investments in early childhood through post-secondary education. The bill seeks to improve access to early learning and child care programs by increasing funding for Head Start programs and the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Additionally, the package includes an $850 million increase in funding for Title I schools to help address long-standing inequities in education, and permanently repeals a law that restricts the use of federal funds to promote school integration. And finally, by raising the maximum Pell Grant award by $500 and increasing investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Minority Serving Institutions, more students will be able to reap the benefits of a college degree. 

“We were also able to take steps to address child hunger. Importantly, the bill includes a provision from the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act, that permanently authorizes the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) program, which will help 29 million children access healthy meals throughout the summer. Although this proposal falls far short of the comprehensive reauthorization that America’s children and families deserve, I am grateful we will be able to make some progress toward our ultimate goal of eliminating child hunger.  

“Also, of note, for the first time in more than a decade, we were able to secure an increase in funding for the National Labor Relations Board, which helps defend workers’ rights to organize and bargain for higher pay, better benefits, and safer working conditions.  Although this increase is not nearly enough to fully recover and scale back from the previous decade of flat funding, it staves off layoffs and permits the NLRB to continue its important work. 

“Moreover, the omnibus includes a notable increase in funding for our nation’s workforce development programs, such as Registered Apprenticeships. These types of investments are not only good for workers, but also employers and our economy.  

“Furthermore, the omnibus includes proposals to protect the health and well-being of pregnant workers and working mothers.  The first is the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act, which ensures mothers have the privacy and time to pump at work. And the second is the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which will ensure pregnant workers have a clear pathway to receiving reasonable accommodations in the workplace. Unfortunately, the Senate incorporated a religious entity exemption from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to PWFA that I strongly oppose. My concern is this language may be interpreted as allowing religious employers to justify other discriminatory actions against pregnant workers beyond denying them accommodations.”

“And, finally, this package includes the SECURE 2.0 Act, which incorporates provisions that the House passed and our Committee approved.  These provisions make several sensible improvements to our nation’s retirement system and will help more Americans prepare for and achieve the secure retirement they deserve.  

“Simply put, this spending package reflects House Democrats’ commitment to put people over politics.”   

For a summary and fact sheet of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies provisions, click here and here.

Original source can be found here