Letter to Hon. Bobby Scott, Chairman for Committee on Education and Labor - Congresswoman Nikema Williams Calls for Increased HBCU Funding Beyond Reconciliation Package

Letter

Dear Chairman Scott:

For nearly 200 years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have shaped the
leaders of our country. HBCUs have educated millions of Black students, giving them a ladder to
the middle class. We appreciate the Higher Education and Workforce Investment
Subcommittee's October 8th hearing on HBCUs -- the first congressional hearing ever to have all
Black witnesses -- which underscored the need to make lasting investments in HBCU
infrastructure. As we work to build a thriving and inclusive economy following this pandemic,
we must prioritize investing in these institutions, which invest so much in our neighbors, friends,
colleagues, and communities.

Congresswoman Alma Adams' IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, supported by over one hundred
bipartisan members of Congress, would do just that. Despite the strong and growing support for
this bill, the clear and pressing need for its investments, and requests from members to advance
it, the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act has not yet been brought before the Committee on
Education and Labor for consideration. We urge you to immediately work with supporters of the
bill, members of your committee, and other stakeholders to provide for the bill's consideration in
a committee markup, a critical first step to pass this bill into law.

Each year, HBCUs have an economic impact worth $15 billion to their communities and produce
134,000 jobs. They make a tremendous impact despite having faced years of government
underfunding and a lack of access to private capital. The IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act will
provide for facility, technological, safety, and equipment updates at our HBCUs, positioning
them to maximize their impact on our students and communities. We appreciate Congresswoman
Alma Adams' tireless work on this legislation to ensure HBCUs get the investments they need.

We will continue to prioritize ensuring that reconciliation legislation includes language
providing for equitable and robust investments in our HBCUs. However, the limited funding for
HBCUs that is currently possible through reconciliation will leave more work to do. Only by
advancing the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act can we address the comprehensive infrastructural
upgrades needed at our HBCUs.

We urge you to schedule a markup of the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act and make advancing
this bill a priority for the Committee on Education and Labor in this Congress. We look forward
to a prompt written response detailing your position on advancing this legislation.

Sincerely,

Nikema Williams
Member of Congress

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