Rep. Bobby Scott Outlines Democratic K-12 Priorities if House Flips

Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House education committee, discussed his K-12 agenda if Democrats win the House in the 2026 midterms. He could seek the committee gavel again, with Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and Rep. Jahana Hayes also interested. Scott said bipartisan education legislation remains possible, citing the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act as an example.

If Democrats capture the House in the Nov. 3, 2026, midterms, Scott could reclaim the education committee gavel he held from 2019 to 2023. Bonamici, the K-12 subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, and Hayes are also pursuing the post. Bonamici has proposed boosting special education and Title I aid, reviewing testing, and expanding pre-K, career-technical education, and project-based learning.

Scott helped craft the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act, a bipartisan measure. He said oversight could cover gun violence, nutrition, research cuts, civil rights enforcement, and interagency arrangements, including moving K-12 programs to the Labor Department. He would first hear from education experts, then question agency leaders.