Press Releases
Ranking Member Scott Opening Statement at Hearing on Antisemitism on College Campuses
11.14.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee hearing on antisemitism on college campuses. “It has been over a month since Hamas’ terrorist attack on innocent civilians in Israel and the start of a brutal, ongoing war in Gaza. This conflict has directly devastated thousands of people—Israelis and Palestinians alike and countless families and friends across the world and in… Continue Reading
Committee GOP Advances Bill to Jeopardize Global Research Partnerships
11.08.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee Republicans advanced legislation that fails to meaningfully prevent undue foreign influence and intellectual property theft at colleges and universities while jeopardizing critical global research partnerships. H.R. 5933, the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, adds new and onerous reporting requirements under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act that will make it harder for colleges and u… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Opening Statement at Markup of Bill to Jeopardize Global Research Partnerships
11.08.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee markup of H.R. 5933, the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act. “Thank you, Dr. Foxx. “This bill, as I understand it, affects gifts to institutions of higher education and their employees, so I’ll focus my remarks on the legislation. “Global partnerships among academic institutions play a critical… Continue Reading
Scott Op-Ed: Youngkin finally dedicated significant funding to combat learning loss. What took him so long?
11.07.23 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, wrote the following op-ed for the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Governor Youngkin’s ALL IN VA initiative. “In September, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced over $400 million to initiate a plan to address the learning loss that our students continue to suffer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If implemented properly, this plan could build on the work that schools should already be doing — such… Continue Reading
Labor Leaders Praise DOL Proposed Rule to Update Overtime Standards for Salaried Employees
11.07.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Workforce Protections Subcommittee Ranking Member Alma Adams (D-NC), Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Representative Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Early Childhood Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Higher Education and Workforce De… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on October Jobs Report
11.03.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 150,000 jobs in October as the unemployment rate ticked up slightly from 3.8 percent to 3.9 percent. Under President Biden’s leadership, the economy has added nearly 14 million jobs. “Today’s jobs report once again underscores the strength of our economy under President Biden’s leadership. The Biden administration has consistently pr… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Proposed Rule to Strengthen America’s Retirement Security
10.31.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Scott issued the following statement after the Biden administration announced a proposed rule to close loopholes and prevent unscrupulous financial advisers from ripping off their retirement clients. “Every hardworking American deserves access to a secure and dignified retirement. Unfortunately, workers today are left wondering whether the retirement investment advice they receive is in their best interest or the financial interest of their advisers. While most advi… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott: Final Joint Employer Standard is “Good for Workers, Good for Law-abiding Businesses, and Good for our Economy”
10.26.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Scott issued the following statement after the Biden administration announced a final rule to ensure that workers hired through subcontractors, temporary staffing agencies, and other intermediaries can hold all the entities with the power to control their working conditions accountable for their right to bargain collectively. “Workers can only negotiate for higher pay, better benefits, and safer working conditions if all companies with power to control their employme… Continue Reading
Scott, Leger Fernández, Baldwin, Dean Introduce Legislation to Lower Cost of Community College
10.19.23 WASHINGTON - House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM-03), Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04) introduced legislation in both the House and Senate chambers to make community college and two-year Tribal Colleges and Universities more accessible by waiving tuition fees for eligible students. “Community colleges play a unique and vital role in providing students a… Continue Reading
Committee Health Leaders Applaud Biden Proposal to Expand Access to Mental and Behavioral Health Care
10.18.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) applauded the Biden administration’s proposed rule to strengthen parity requirements for mental health and substance use disorder care. Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Members Scott and DeSaulnier, have championed legislation—including the Mental Health Matters Act—to secure mental and behavio… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on September Jobs Report
10.06.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 336,000 jobs in September as the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.8 percent. Under President Biden’s leadership, the economy has added roughly 13.9 million jobs. “Today’s jobs report demonstrates that, despite House Republicans’ extremism and inability to govern, the Biden-Harris economic agenda is working. In Congress, Demo… Continue Reading
ICYMI: Ranking Member Scott Hosted a Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace
09.29.23 WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) hosted a roundtable with experts on the potential short-term and long-term risks of artificial intelligence (AI) for workers and the labor market. The roundtable discussion addressed the concept of AI, its benefits and harms, and possible solutions to protect workers in the modern economy. Watch Ranking Member Scott’s remarks on YouTube. Ranking Member Scott delivered the following remarks during the roundtable: “Arti… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Opening Statement at Hearing on Race-Conscious College Admissions Policies
09.28.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee hearing on race-conscious college admissions policies. “Thank you, Chairman Owens, and thank you to our witnesses for your testimony today. “Our nation still has a compelling interest in fostering racially diverse campuses, and the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Harvard and UNC cases does not change that. “In fact, it was the S… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden for Protecting Students, Taxpayers from Low-Quality Education Programs
09.28.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Scott issued the following statement after the Biden Administration announced a final rule that will help hold career programs that receive federal financial aid accountable for ensuring their graduates can secure gainful employment after completing a degree. “The Gainful Employment rule is a critical tool to address low-quality career programs that frequently leave graduates with crushing debt and no meaningful career prospects. That is why I voiced strong oppositi… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Adams Opening Statement at Oversight Hearing with OSHA
09.27.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Alma Adams (NC-12) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing with Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. “Thank you, Chairman Kiley. First of all, I want to thank Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Mr. Doug Parker. Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing your testimony. “There is no question that the Occupational Safety and Health Adm… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Passing of USW President Tom Conway
09.26.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Scott issued the following statement on the passing of United Steelworkers (USW) International President Tom Conway. “Throughout his career—and most recently as President of the United Steelworkers—Tom was always on the side of working people. Whether it was advocating for higher wages, better benefits, safer workplaces, or fairer trade deals, Tom fought to see that workers were treated with dignity and respect. Ensuring workers had decent jobs and economic … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Expanding Access to Free School Meals
09.25.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Scott applauded the Biden administration after the Department of Agriculture announced a final rule to strengthen the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and expand children’s access to free school meals. CEP allows the nation’s highest poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. Instead, schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed according to the percentage of students c… Continue Reading
Labor Leaders Reintroduce Bill to Expand Training Opportunities for Disconnected Youth
09.15.23 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Ranking Member Federica Wilson (FL-24), Representative Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), and Education and the Workforce Committee Vice Ranking Member Jahana Hayes (CT-05) reintroduced the Opening Doors for Youth Act of 2023 (ODYA)—legislation to address the challenges facing youth who become disconnected from both school and work. Researchers est… Continue Reading
As MAGA House Republicans Push for Government Shutdown, Committee GOP Advances Partisan Messaging Bills
09.14.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee Republicans advanced a set of bills—including H.J. Res 88, H.R. 5339, H.R. 5337, and H.R. 5340—that would eliminate the most affordable student loan repayment plan ever offered to borrowers and allow extreme MAGA Republicans, instead of financial experts, to make important investment decisions on behalf of retirement savers. “By this point in the last Congress, Congressional Democrats had already passed the American Rescue Plan Act—which delivered the largest, one-… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Opening Statement at Markup of Bills to Strip Support for Student Loan Borrowers, Inject Partisan Politics in Investment Decisions for Retirement Savers
09.14.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee markup of H.R. 4259, H.R. 5349, H.R. 5110, H.J. Res. 88, H.R. 4957, H.R. 5339, H.R. 5337, H.R. 5338, and H.R. 5340. “Thank you, Madam Chair. “Today, the Committee is marking up nine bills. Regrettably, some are benign or noncontroversial, but some are also divisive and partisan and will undermine the economic security of workers, students, and families. Moreover, thes… Continue Reading