Senate HELP Committee Considers Education, Labor Nominees Who Have Broad Support

WASHINGTON, December 5, 2017 — The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee today held a hearing for two Department of Education nominees, Ken Marcus to serve as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and Johnny Collett to serve as Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and two Department of Labor nominees, Scott Mugno to serve as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health and Dr. William Beach to serve as Commissioner of Labor Statistics.

On Mr. Marcus, Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said: “The Office for Civil Rights has the important responsibility of ensuring that Title IX and other civil rights laws, and the protections they provide to all students, are fully enforced. Mr. Marcus has a deep understanding of civil rights issues, having founded the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and having served as Staff Director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for four years. I have letters from 10 individuals and organizations supporting Mr. Marcus’ nomination to lead the Office for Civil Rights.”

On Mr. Collett, Alexander said: “As a result of a long history in special education, Mr. Collett is widely supported by the special education community, including the National Association of State Directors of Special Education and five other organizations.  He has been a high school special education teacher, served as Director of the Division of Learning Services at the Kentucky Department of Education, and is currently the Director of Special Education Outcomes at the Council of Chief State School Officers.”

On Mr. Mugno, Alexander said: “My father was the safety director at a plant in Alcoa, Tennessee and later served on the first Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, so I grew up seeing my father’s pride when the plant went a long number of days without an accident, which instilled in me the importance of workplace safety. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Mugno’s experience and have received six statements of support for his nomination.”

On Dr. Beach, Alexander said: “As Commissioner of Labor Statistics, Dr. Beach will be responsible for the Bureau that collects and publishes the data that tells us how our economy is doing. As fewer people have landlines and more people use cell phones and social media to communicate, it is getting harder to reach people in order to obtain these figures. The committee has received three letters of support demonstrating that Dr. Beach is well equipped to lead the organization and meet these challenges.”

Alexander’s full prepared remarks are here.

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