Press Releases
On Workers Memorial Day, Rep. Courtney, Ranking Member Scott Lead Legislation to Improve Workplace Safety
04.28.23 WASHINGTON - To honor Workers Memorial Day, Rep. Courtney (CT-02), a senior member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, introduced the Protecting America’s Workers Act. This bill would meaningfully strengthen and modernize the Occupation Safety and Health Act for the first time in over 50 years by ensuring employers promptly correct hazardous working conditions, protect whistleb… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Reintroduce Child Care for Working Families Act to Tackle Child Care Crisis and Get Families the Child Care & Pre-K They Need
04.27.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, reintroduced their Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to tackle the child care crisis and ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need. Representative Wild (D-PA-07) joined Representative Scott in leading rei… Continue Reading
Labor Leaders Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Apprenticeships
04.25.23 WASHINGTON - Today, House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), along with a group of bipartisan Members, announced the introduction of the National Apprenticeship Act of 2023. The bill would create nearly one million new Registered Apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship opportunities over the next five years by investing more than $3.8 billion over five years. These resources will help scale up… Continue Reading
ICYMI: Ranking Member Scott Leads Opposition to Politics Over Participation Act
04.20.23 WASHINGTON - House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks during yesterday’s floor debate on H.R. 735, the Politics Over Participation Act. View Ranking Member Scott’s floor remarks on YouTube. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. “Mr. Chairman, this bill is a mean-spirited attack on transgender women and girls’ participation in sports. “It essentially requires women and girls to ‘prove their gender.’ In Kansas, where a sim… Continue Reading
What People Are *Actually* Saying About H.R. 734, the “Politics Over Participation Act”
04.19.23 WASHINGTON - Today, the House of Representatives will consider extreme Republican legislation that bans transgender women and girls in school sports and makes school sports less fair and less safe for all students. Athletes, advocates, and experts agree that politicians in Washington should be addressing the most pressing issues facing students and parents—not targeting transgender student athletes and endangering women and girls in school athletics. Here is what they are saying about Republican… Continue Reading
Civil Rights Leaders Reintroduce Bill to Strengthen Protections, Restore Intent of Federal Religious Freedom Law
04.19.23 WASHINGTON - Today, House and Senate civil rights leaders reintroduced the Do No Harm Act, to address the increasing use of religious freedom to undermine civil rights protections. The bill restores the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to its original purpose, which is to protect religious exercise while ensuring religious freedom is not used to erode civil rights protections. The legislation is sponsored by House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby”… Continue Reading
Rep. Courtney Leads Bipartisan Lawmakers in Curbing Violence Against Health Care and Social Service Workers
04.18.23 WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) a senior member of the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Committee, re-introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to curb the rising rates of workplace violence facing health care and social service workers, including nurses, emergency responders, medical assistants, physicians, and social workers. Health care and social service w… Continue Reading
McBath, Moore, Fitzpatrick, Kim Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Survivors of Domestic Violence
04.13.23 Duluth, GA — Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA-07) has reintroduced the bipartisan Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act (FVPSA). The bill will reauthorize and expand funding for programs focused on supporting survivors and preventing family and domestic violence. These programs are the only federal funding sources under the Department of Health and Human Services dedicated to providing domestic violence prevention services. The legislation is co-led by Representatives Gwen Moore (D-WI-04… Continue Reading
Democratic Committee Leaders Write to Health Insurers Regarding Coverage of Preventive Care
04.13.23 WASHINGTON - House and Senate Democratic Health Committee leaders wrote to 12 of the nation’s largest health insurers and trade associations representing employer-sponsored health plans today requesting information regarding how they plan to respond to the Northern District of Texas’s decision in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra striking down the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) requirement that most health plans and issuers cover preventive services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Ta… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on March Jobs Report
04.07.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 236,000 jobs in March as the unemployment rate fell slightly from 3.6 percent to 3.5 percent. Since taking office, President Biden has created 12.6 million jobs. “In January 2021, at the beginning of President Biden’s term, the unemployment rate was 6.2 percent. And now, according to today’s jobs report, the unemployment rate is ap… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Prioritizing Safety and Fairness in School Sports
04.06.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education released a proposed rule to update Title IX regulations regarding participation in school athletics programs. Specifically, the proposed rule would prohibit schools and athletics programs from adopting or applying one-size-fits-all policies that categorically ban transgender students from participating in school sports activities consistent with their gender identity. “… Continue Reading
Committee Leaders Praise Biden Push to Improve Access to Reproductive Health Care
04.04.23 WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (MA-01) submitted comments to the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor (DOL), and the Treasury in support of the proposed rules to ensure access to no-cost coverage for contraceptive services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). “With acce… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Condemns Right-Wing Judge’s Ruling to Restrict Access to Preventive Health Care
03.30.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after a District Court judge ruled to weaken a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires private health insurance plans to cover preventive care services, including cancer screenings, PrEP for HIV prevention, and behavioral health screenings, at no cost. “Access to preventive care saves lives. By detecting health problems early on, preventive care helps us address serious diseases—such as… Continue Reading
NLRB OIG Opens Investigation into Republican Subpoena Following Concerns Raised from Ranking Member Scott
03.29.23 WASHINGTON - Today, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) confirmed it has opened an investigation into whether the Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Foxx’s (NC-05) subpoena to the NLRB violated the Anti-Deficiency Act or Section 4(a) of the National Labor Relations Act. The investigation follows a letter from Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) to Chairwoman Foxx that raised questions about the subpoena’s legitimacy. “… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Opening Statement at Campus Free Speech Hearing
03.29.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee hearing. “Thank you, Chairman Owens, and good morning. “We can all agree that free speech is a constitutional right and bedrock of our democracy. And, for decades, colleges and universities have been on the front lines of protecting and advancing that right. “But the Majority is not interested in protecting all speech. Inste… Continue Reading
Reps. Chu, Scott Re-Introduce POWER Act to Create Safe, Just Workplaces for Every Worker in America
03.28.23 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, re-introduced the Protecting Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation (POWER) Act. This updated bill is a vital step towards creating safe and just workplaces for all American workers by providing temporary protection from deportation for immigrant workers who experience retaliation for exercising their rights under existing labor and em… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Opening Statement at Job Market Hearing
03.28.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee hearing on the state of the workforce. “Thank you, Dr. Foxx and good morning. “I thought it would be helpful to show a chart of the economy that was just described as disparaged. This chart behind me shows the average number of jobs per month in the last five Presidential administrations. And we can see the Biden administration; 495,000 jobs, which is significantl… Continue Reading
Despite Internal Opposition, Republicans Force Through Anti-Student, Parent, and Educator Legislation
03.24.23 WASHINGTON - Today, House Republicans advanced the Politics Over Parents Act (H.R. 5) despite opposition from parents, students, educators, and members of their own party. Moreover, Republicans unilaterally rejected the Democratic alternative offered by ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01). The Democrats’ alternative would have: Prevented schools from banning books; Created a designated parent coordinator at every public school; Increased funding for statewide family… Continue Reading
WATCH: Ranking Member Scott Leads Fight Against Anti-Student, Parent, Educator Legislation
03.23.23 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks during today’s floor debate on H.R. 5, the Politics Over Parents Act. View Ranking Member Scott’s floor remarks on YouTube. "First, let me be clear: House Democrats believe parental engagement is central to student success. Parental engagement in schools is closely linked to better student behavior, higher academic achievement, and enhanced social skills. "Unfor… Continue Reading
What People Are *Actually* Saying About Extreme MAGA Republicans’ “Politics over Parents” Bill (H.R. 5)
03.22.23 WASHINGTON - Today, the House of Representatives will consider Republican legislation that would undermine public education under the guise of 'parental rights.' Experts and advocates for students, parents, and teachers agree that this proposal would only further politicize classrooms and jeapordize support for public education while doing nothing to increase real parental partnership with schools. Here’s what they are saying about Republicans’ so-called Parents Bill of Rights Act: Secretary of… Continue Reading