Press Releases
ICYMI: Ranking Member Scott Hosts Briefing with Experts on the Importance of Brown v. Board and the Fight for Educational Equity
05.17.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) hosted a briefing with experts on the significance of the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education and the fight for educational access and opportunity for all. Watch the full briefing on YouTube. Members and staff heard from Kim Atkins Stohr, Boston Globe, Saba Bireda, Brown’s Promise, Janel George, Racial Equity in Education Law & Policy Clinic, Georgetown Law, David Hinojosa, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law,… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement at Hearing with HHS Secretary Becerra
05.15.24 WASHINGTON -Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee hearing, “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Health and Human Services” with Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. “Thank you, Madam Chair. “Secretary Becerra, good morning, and thank you for being with us today. It is always a pleasure to welcome you back to the Committee. “You are familiar with this room, not only from your p… Continue Reading
New Government Watchdog Report: Poor Oversight of Title IX Enforcement Negatively Impacts Female Student Athletes Participation in College Sports
05.09.24 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Subcommittee on Early Childhood and Secondary Education released a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report found that inadequate oversight of Title IX negatively impacts women from participating in college athletics. Under Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, schools that receive federal fi… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Bonamici Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee Hearing Examining Antisemitism in K-12 Schools
05.08.24 WASHINGTON -Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee hearing, entitled, “Confronting Pervasive Antisemitism in K-12 Schools.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. “There is no question that we must do more to combat antisemitism - not just in schools but everywhere. We must do more to protect Jewish students and Jewish Americans who are threatened and harassed and attacked because of wh… Continue Reading
Bonamici, Scott, Markey Introduce Legislation to Fully Compensate Workers for Discrimination, Hold Employers Accountable
05.08.24 WASHINGTON - Today Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced legislation to allow workers to receive full compensation when their employers are found liable for employment discrimination. The Equal Act corrects an outdated 1991 law that caps awards in cases of employment discrimination, which prevents workers from receiving the full amount awarded by a jury. The… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement at Hearing with ED Secretary Cardona
05.07.24 WASHINGTON -Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee hearing, “Examining the Education Department's Policies, Priorities, and FY 2023 Financial Audit Failure” with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Thank you, Dr. Foxx. “And good morning, Mr. Secretary, and thank you for being with us today. “Seventy years ago, this month, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote?in the majority opinion, the unanimous opinion, of Br… Continue Reading
Scott Joins Bipartisan Committee Leaders in House and Senate in Raising Concerns Over Rollout of Next Year’s FAFSA
05.07.24 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) joined bipartisan, bicameral committee leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate urging the Department of Education (DeptEd) to make the timely roll out of the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form a priority. FAFSA provides schools with the information they need to produce financial aid offers so students can determine if and how they can afford college. Th… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on April Jobs Report
05.03.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 175,000 jobs in April, and the unemployment rate ticked up from 3.8 to 3.9 percent. “Four years ago, the economy lost 20.5 million jobs, the unemployment rate shot up to 14.7 percent, and the initial unemployment claims sky-rocketed to more than 6.1 million. “Four years later, because of the investments made by Congressional Democr… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on HHS Final Rule to Prevent Disability Discrimination in Health Care Services
05.01.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR), finalized a rule that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. “People with disabilities have the right to participate fully in their community. Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) clarified and strengthened application of civil rights law to ensure that programs and… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement at Hearing with DOL Acting Secretary Su
05.01.24 WASHINGTON -Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee hearing, “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor” with Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “Acting Secretary Su, good morning. “I think it is important to note that your service as acting Secretary has been verified as constitutionally proper by the Government Accountability Office. So, there is no question as to whether or not you are serv… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Releases New Report on the Ineffectiveness of Current Labor Penalties
04.30.24 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released a new report—"A Slap on the Wrist: How It Pays for Unscrupulous Employers to Take Advantage of Workers.” The report outlines how children, workers, and families suffer when civil monetary penalties for labor and employment violations are too weak or nonexistent to prevent dishonest employers from violating the rights and protections guaranteed to America's workers. Penalties for killing a worker, illegally employin… Continue Reading
Committee Health Leaders Applaud Biden Administration for Rescinding Trump-Era Rule that Undermined the Affordable Care Act
04.29.24 WASHINGTON - 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) released the following statement after the Biden Administration issued a final rule that reverses a Trump-era rule aimed at sabotaging the Affordable Care Act by making it harder for workers and families to get affordable, high-quality health insurance. “We applaud the Biden Administration for rescindi… Continue Reading
Reps. Scott, Huffman, Raskin Applaud Biden’s Faith-Based Regulations and Champion Religious Liberty
04.24.24 WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Jared Huffman (CA-02), and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) led their colleagues in applauding the Biden administration for rescinding Donald Trump’s discriminatory faith-based regulations and finalizing updated regulations to protect religious freedoms and other civil rights for all people participating in federally funded social services. “When the government funds social service programs, it must protect religious freedom and make… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration Rule to Provide Healthier Meals for Children
04.24.24 WASHINGTON- Ranking Member Scott issued the following statement after the Biden Administration released a final rule to improve nutrition standards for child nutrition programs and align them with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). “Students should be served healthy meals at schools based on nutritional science and expert guidance, not based on political considerations or special interests. This is particularly important considering that school meals are the most substantial me… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds President Biden for Strengthening Overtime Pay Protections for Workers
04.23.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule that would raise the salary threshold for salaried workers to automatically qualify for overtime compensation. According to the Department of Labor, the rule would guarantee overtime pay for most salaried workers earning less than $58,656 per year, extending overtime protections for roughly an additional 4 million Americans. “Workers deserve fai… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration’s Action to Protect Americans’ Retirement Savings
04.23.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Scott issued the following statement after the Biden administration released a final 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 advisers… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Requests Hearing on the State of School Segregation
04.22.24 WASHINGTON - One month ahead of the 70th anniversary year of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) urged Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) to hold a hearing to examine the state of school segregation. Seven decades after the Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, we have yet to fulfill the promise of equity in education. According to a 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, high poverty schools where… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Final Title IX Regulations
04.19.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education released the final Title IX regulations. “The Education Department’s final Title IX regulations mark a monumental step in our fight to address sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination in K-12 and higher education—all while preserving the rights of the accused. By expanding the critical protections under this law, the new regulations would help ensure that all stu… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Delivers Opening Statement at Committee Hearing on Antisemitism at Columbia University
04.17.24 WASHINGTON -Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing on antisemitism on the campus of Columbia University. “Thank you, Dr. Foxx. And thank you to our witnesses for appearing today. “I would like to start my opening remarks with a video from 2017 to remind everyone of what happened on the University of Virginia’s campus during a “Unite the Right” rally. As a warning, this video may co… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden for Protecting Miners from Exposure to Hazardous Silica Dust
04.16.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule to strengthen protections for miners against respirable crystalline silica. “Experts have repeatedly stressed that, when inhaled, silica dust can cause a range of serious diseases, including lung cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease, and silicosis. The Biden Administration’s final rule takes an important st… Continue Reading