Press Releases
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
Scott, Clark, Murray, Sanders, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Extend Vital Child Care Funding and Save Millions of Families' Child Care Spots as Funding Cliff Looms
09.13.23 Democrats saved the child care sector from collapse during the pandemic with vital stabilization funding—which helped 220,000 providers stay afloat and serve as many as 10 million kids—but with funding set to expire September 30, the child care sector may once again be pushed to the brink, with potentially dire consequences for families and our economy The Child Care Stabilization Act would extend vital stabilization funding to prevent a potential crisis for families and our economy by ensuring… Continue Reading
Ranking Members Scott, Adams Comment on Biden Proposal to Protect Miners from Hazardous Exposure to Silica Dust
09.13.23 WASHINGTON - On Monday, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Ranking Member Alma Adams (NC-12) sent a letter to the Department of Labor regarding the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) proposed rule to strengthen protections for miners against respirable crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease, and an array of … Continue Reading
Committee Leaders Ask Republicans (Again) to Hold Hearing on Child Labor Violations
09.13.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Ranking Member Alma Adams (NC-12) sent a second letter urging Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) to hold a hearing on the rise of child labor violations and legislative proposals to address abusive child labor. Ranking Members Scott and Adams sent the letter as Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Bob Good (VA-05) dedicates the Co… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray, DeLauro, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Stop Wage Theft and Ensure Workers Get the Pay They’ve Earned
09.12.23 WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, and colleagues in both chambers reintroduced their Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, comprehensive legislation to put hard-earned wages back in workers’ pockets and c… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds HHS Action to Ensure Robust Protections for People with Disabilities
09.08.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Scott applauded the Biden-Harris administration after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule to update regulations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that ensure access to health and human services programs. “We have come a long way toward ending discrimination against people with disabilities in America since pioneering advocates—like the late Judy Heumann—fought to secure some of the first federal antidiscri… Continue Reading
As Student Loan Payments Resume, Ranking Member Scott Highlights Education Department Resources, Reforms to Support Borrowers
09.06.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Scott applauded the Department of Education (ED) for its work to support student loan borrowers as student loan payments and interest accrual resume for the first time in just over three years. “With the return to student loan repayment underway, student loan borrowers and their families may be worried about their economic security. Thankfully, the Biden-Harris administration is here to help with resources and reforms that will facilitate a smoother transitio… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on August Jobs Report
09.01.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 187,000 jobs in August as the unemployment rate rose from 3.5 percent to 3.8 percent. Notably, this rise in the unemployment rate was driven by an increase in labor force participation rather than a decline in employment. The number of jobs created in August is higher than the 182,000 jobs created each month, on average, under the Tr… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds President Biden’s Proposed Rule to Strengthen Overtime Pay Protections
08.30.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Labor released a proposed rule that would raise the salary threshold for salaried workers to automatically qualify for overtime compensation. According to the Department of Labor, the proposed rule would guarantee overtime pay for most salaried workers earning less than about $55,000 per year, extending overtime protections for 3.6 million Americans. “Workers in this country des… Continue Reading
Courtney, Bean Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Missing and Exploited Children
08.21.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chairman Aaron Bean (R-FL) introduced H.R. 5224, the Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation renews the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (MCAA) and makes critical updates to help the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) better support youth who are missing, to reduce child sexual exploitation, and to preven… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Biden Administration’s Guidance on Race in Admissions
08.14.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education and Department of Justice released joint guidance on race in admissions. “Admissions practices that narrowly tailored the use of race as one of many factors in evaluating prospective students were key to fostering diversity in higher education. Such admissions policies not only supported historically underserved students, but research confirmed that diverse campuses a… Continue Reading
Government Watchdog Report Finds Telework Can Increase Productivity and Improve Quality of Life for Workers and Their Families
08.11.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Committee on Oversight and Accountability Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (MD-08), and Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), announced the release of a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the benefits and potential of telework for worker productivity and firm performance. “During the pandemic, millions of Americans… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on July Jobs Report
08.04.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 187,000 jobs in July, as the unemployment rate ticked down from 3.6 percent to 3.5 percent. This is higher than the 182,000 jobs created each month, on average, under the Trump administration prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since taking office, President Biden has created 13.4 million jobs, which is more jobs created in 30 months than … Continue Reading
NEW: Government Watchdog Report Finds Health Insurance Alternatives May Leave Consumers and Workers Vulnerable to Low-Quality Coverage, Misleading Marketing
08.02.23 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) announced the release of a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on health care arrangements—including Farm Bureau health plans, health care sharing ministries, and fixed indemnity plans—that are offered as alternatives to health insurance. The report found that these plans and… Continue Reading