PORTLAND, OR [05/11/16]–This week, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) hosted Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA)—the top Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce—for a series of meetings in NW Oregon. You can download photos of the visit here.
Bonamici, a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, invited Scott to Oregon to highlight the innovative ways the state is approaching challenges faced by working families. The Members of Congress hosted and participated in a several events related to early childhood education, college affordability, and job training. Bonamici and Scott will take what they learned back to Congress as they craft policies that will strengthen and grow America’s economy.
On Wednesday, Bonamici spoke on the House Floor to share what she and Scott learned in Oregon. You can watch her floor speech here.
“As a mom and a member of Congress, I know we must do more to invest in our children and families,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “This includes making child care and college more affordable and passing sensible family-leave policies. Oregon is leading the nation in addressing the many challenges that can burden working families. I invited Mr. Scott—a Congressional leader on education and workforce issues—to see how the Oregon approach of collaboration and innovation can help solve complicated problems. Together, Mr. Scott and I have worked to enact bipartisan laws to strengthen our public schools and support older adults. We will continue our shared efforts to craft policies that give children, young people, and working families the support they need to succeed.”
“From access to affordable childcare and early childhood education, to closing achievement gaps and increasing access to higher education opportunities, the issues affecting the families of Oregon are reflective of the challenges facing working families across the nation,” said Congressman Bobby Scott. “I am pleased that I was able to join Rep. Bonamici, a true champion of working families, to see the work being done to address these challenges. The momentum for change at the state and local level brings us closer to enacting federal policies that would boost workers’ pay, help workers balance work and family obligations, and level the playing field by strengthening protections from workplace discrimination. Rep. Bonamici and I are committed to making our nation’s laws work better for children, students, and working people.”
On Monday, Bonamici and Scott held forums and discussions in NW Oregon. At Portland State University (PSU), Bonamici and Scott hosted a forum on the challenges working parents face in providing a safe and secure environment for their children. The forum featured testimony from expert witnesses on child care affordability and access to family-friendly workplace policies.
At Portland Community College’s (PCC) Rock Creek Campus, Bonamici and Scott held a roundtable discussion about increasing access to college, supporting students as they transition from school to the workforce, and observing the innovative ways Oregon is leading the nation in making college more affordable—including Oregon’s free community college plan. Following the roundtable discussion, Bonamici and Scott met with students and staff who are part of PCC programs aimed at increasing access and affordability to higher education opportunities, including Future Connect and Career Pathways.