Press Releases
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Trump Decision to Abandon Mental Health Care for Americans
05.15.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced its plan to abandon mental health parity enforcement. “Nearly 30 years after the enactment of the bipartisan Mental Health Parity Act, insurance companies and health plans still fail to provide meaningful coverage of behavioral health care. Rigorous enforcement of this landmark law is more important now than ever befo… Continue Reading
Scott, Boyle Demand Answers about How Tax Cuts for the Rich will Limit Access to School Meals and Nutrition Programs
05.15.25 WASHINGTON- Committee Leaders are raising alarm over the Republicans’ drastic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid included in the budget reconciliation which will negatively impact children’s access to school meal programs and threaten food security for millions of families that rely on summer grocery benefits and other health and nutrition services. Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Ranking Memb… Continue Reading
NEWS: Scott, Sanders, Murray, Baldwin, DeLauro Decry Trump Administration’s Illegal Firings, Cuts at AmeriCorps
05.15.25 WASHINGTON - Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, alongside Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Re… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Bonamici Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on Charter Schools
05.14.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Early Childhood and Secondary Education Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Reimagining Education: How Charter Schools Are Closing Gaps and Opening Doors.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here. “Charter schools, as a reminder, are public schools that receive taxpayer dollars. At their best, they offer the potential for innovation, flexibility, and responsiv… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on RFK Jr. Decision to Rehire Only A Few Wrongfully Terminated NIOSH Employees
05.13.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, issued the following statement in response to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reinstating some but not all of the wrongfully terminated National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) civil servants. “I am encouraged to see Secretary Kennedy begin to reverse course on his decision to fire hundreds of civil servants at the National Institute for Occupa… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Demands ED Answer Questions Regarding Status of Students’ Civil Rights Investigations
05.12.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) of the Committee of Education and Workforce demanded answers from Secretary McMahon of the Department of Education (ED or the Department) regarding recent reports that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)’s recent mass layoffs resulted in pending cases being abandoned without adequate caseworkers. As of January 2025, OCR reported a backlog of over 12,000 cases. Soon thereafter, the Department let go nearly half of OCR’s staff and closed… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Question Labor Department about Impact of Mass Layoffs on Workers
05.09.25 WASHINGTON - Committee Democrats are demanding answers from Department of Labor (DOL or Department) Secretary Chavez-DeRemer regarding mass layoffs at the Department and the Trump Administration’s continued attacks on working Americans. This letter follows President Trump’s first 100 days in office, during which he stripped federal contract workers of civil rights protections and greenlighted Elon Musk and his associates’ access to sensitive data, including workers’ financial and health data, a… Continue Reading
Education Leaders Urge McMahon to Reject Waiver Requests for K-12 Education Funds That Allow States to Avoid Accountability
05.08.25 WASHINGTON- Today, congressional Democrats urged Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to reject any efforts by states to undermine the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which specifically directs funding to high-poverty schools, English as a Second Language programs, afterschool and summer learning, and more. The letter was sent by Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Delivers Opening Statement at 8th Hearing on Campus Antisemitism
05.07.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks at today’s full committee hearing entitled “Beyond the Ivy League: Stopping the Spread of Antisemitism on American Campuses.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank our witnesses for being with us today. “The month of May marks Jewish American Heritage Month, when we celebrate the generations of Jewish Americans who have made incredible contributions to this country. This month, we reaffirm our commitment … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Omar Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on Reforming Worker Compensation
05.06.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) delivered the following opening statement at Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing entitled, “FECA Reform and Oversight: Prioritizing Workers, Protecting Taxpayer Dollar.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, everyone, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. “The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, or FECA, is more than just a compensation statute—it is a solemn promise. A promise that if a federal worker is injured on th… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on President Trump’s FY 2026 Proposed Budget
05.02.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, issued the following statement after President Trump released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026. “In the first 100 days since Donald Trump has returned to the White House, he has made one thing abundantly clear: he has no plan to improve the lives of students, workers, and families. Instead, he has decimated federal agencies that provide key services, stripped away workers’ rights, … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on April Jobs Report
05.02.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 177,000 jobs in April, and the unemployment rate remained the same at 4.2 percent. During President Biden’s first 100 days in office, the economy created 1.7 million jobs. In President Trump’s first 100 days in office, he created less than half a million jobs, and the economy shrank at a rate of 0.3 percent. Under President Biden, the… Continue Reading
Reps. Courtney, Walberg Lead Bicameral, Bipartisan Bill to Improve Health Care Access for Federal Workers
05.01.25 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), a senior Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, introduced the Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act. This bipartisan bill would amend the Federal Employees Compensation Act to allow injured workers to receive treatment for work-related injuries from state-licensed physician assistants (PAs) and nurse… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Blast Republicans for Changing Rules and Refusing to Hold Trump Accountable for Closing Office that Supports Seniors and Americans with Disabilities
04.30.25 WASHINGTON -In case you missed it, yesterday, Committee Democrats showed up for work prepared to debate a measure which would allow Congress to hold the Trump Administration accountable after it proposed eliminating the Administration for Community Living (ACL). ACL supports programs that help seniors and people with disabilities live independently and with dignity like Meals on Wheels. Congressional Republicans decided to bury their heads in the sand and further fuel President Trump’s unchecke… Continue Reading
Ranking Member DeSaulnier Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on ESG in Retirement Plans
04.30.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) delivered the following opening statement at the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Investing for the Future: Honoring ERISA’s Promise to Participants.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank the witness before the start of the hearing. “Today’s hearing is expected to focus on what’s called environmental, social, and governance - or ESG - factors when making investments in retirement plans covered … Continue Reading
Committee Republicans Bend the Knee, Vote to Slash Education to Pay for Tax Cuts for the Rich
04.29.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and Workforce Committee Republicans bent the knee and advanced the unpopular Republican budget plan— which would raise student loan payments for student loan borrowers. The Republican’s budget raises the cost of going to college for students and families by restricting access to federal student aid and affordable student loan repayment plans, and it exposes students and taxpayers to predatory and low-quality institutions by repealing existing student protections. … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Slams Republicans’ Disastrous Plan to Raise Student Loan Payments to Pay for Tax Cuts for the Rich
04.29.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee markup of H. Con. Res. 14 Section 2001(b)(3) and H.Res.344. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. “Mr. Chairman, in this town, there is a saying that if you want to see someone’s values, show me their budget. “Regrettably, the reconciliation plan that has come before us today reveals a betrayal of the promise that President Lyndon B. Johnson made when he signed the Higher Educat… Continue Reading
Ranking Members Scott, Connolly Demand Answers on Trump’s Attacks on Civil Rights Protections for Workers
04.28.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, and Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11), Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to Catherine Eschbach, Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) regarding the Trump Administration’s drastic cuts to OFCCP staff. These cuts will leave millions of federal contract workers vulnerable to discrimination in the workpla… Continue Reading
On Workers’ Memorial Day, Reps. Scott, Courtney Lead Bill to Improve Workplace Safety
04.28.25 WASHINGTON - Today, on Workers’ Memorial Day, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02), a senior member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce reintroduced the Protecting America’s Workers Act as the Trump Administration dismantles workplace protections. This bill would meaningfully strengthen and modernize the Occupation Safety and Health Act (OSH-Act) for the first time in over 50 years by ensuring employers promptly correct hazardous working … Continue Reading
Top Democrats Condemn Trump Executive Orders Repealing “Disparate Impact” Enforcement and School Discipline Protections
04.25.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (MD-08), House Committee on the Judiciary released the following statements in response to President Trump’s executive order entitled, “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy” and “Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies.” To see how this action is part of President Trump’s agenda to benefit billionaires and corporations at the expense of… Continue Reading