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Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said Thursday that there was "broad bipartisan support" to expand apprenticeship programs, a policy that the White House has been pushing throughout the week.

"There is broad bipartisan support ... The challenge is that you need some sort of accountability," the Virginia Democrat said. He said he had several concerns over the potential direction of the policy and said the current standards for accountability in the government's existing apprenticeship programs should be maintained.

"What our input [to the administration] has been is to not re-invent the wheel," Scott said.

Scott was reacting to reports that Trump intends to limit or remove oversight of the funding as part of his reforms.

The lawmaker appeared with other lawmakers at the signing of an executive order Thursday by President Trump on expanding apprenticeships. "We are empowering these companies, these unions, industry groups, federal agencies to go out and create new apprenticeships for millions of our citizens. Apprenticeships place students into great jobs without the crippling debt of traditional four-year college degrees," the president said.

At the ceremony, Trump thanked Scott and Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., for "car[ing] so deeply about this effort." Scott's office emphasized that he had not been involved in drafting the order and had not seen a draft prior to the ceremony. The order had not been posted on the White House's website Thursday afternoon.

Asked if he supported the executive order, Scott demurred, saying there still "uncertainties" regarding the president's policy. "We would expect some minimum standards and accountability to the government if it is federal money."

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'Broad bipartisan support' on apprenticeships, Democrat Scott says - Washington Examiner