Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Worker Safety and Health
Ranking Member Scott Statement on July Jobs Report
08.02.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 114,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.3 from 4.1 percent. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the economy has added 15.8 million jobs. “In the past four years, Congressional Democrats and the Biden-Harris Administration have worked together to prioritize workers and their families and rebuild the economy from t… Continue Reading
House Labor Leaders Introduces New Bill to Protect Workers and Level the Playing Field
07.26.24 WASHINGTON - Today, House labor leaders introduced the Labor Enforcement to Securely (LET’S) Protect Workers Act(H.R. 9137). The LET’S Protect Workers Act is a transformative legislative bill aimed at bolstering protections for America’s workers and ensuring accountability for employers who flout labor and employment laws. In April, Ranking Member Scott released a damning report entitled, “A Slap on the Wrist: How It Pays for Unscrupulous Employers to Take Advantage of Workers" which illustrat… Continue Reading
House Labor Leaders Request DOL Investigation Amid Resurgence of Child Labor Violations
07.18.24 WASHINGTON -Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Ranking Member Alma Adams (NC-12) requested the Department of Labor (DOL) examine potential risks of child labor and occupational safety and health violations in youth workforce programs. Specifically, the Members raise concerns about incidents in programs authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Authorization Act (WIOA), and the school-based Work Experience and Career Explorations Programs (WE… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Protecting Workers from Extreme Heat
07.02.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposed rule aimed at mitigating health risks associated with heat exposure for America’s workers, both indoors and outdoors. This initiative underscores the Biden Administration's commitment to prioritizing worker protections amidst escalating concerns over rising temperatures across the country, and States’ attempts to eliminate lifesaving protections. “… Continue Reading
Rep. Courtney’s Bipartisan Bill to Improve Health Care Access Advances in the House
06.20.24 NORWICH, CT - In another bipartisan win, the Committee on Education and the Workforce recently advanced (36-0) Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Rep. Tim Walberg’s (R-MI) legislation to improve health care access for injured federal workers. The Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act (H.R. 618) amends the Federal Employees Compensation Act to ensure injured federal employees, especially those in rural areas can get the appropriate care they need from state-licensed… Continue Reading
Casar, Labor Caucus Co-Chairs, Congressional Democrats Urge NLRB to Investigate Allegations that Google & YouTube Music Retaliated Against Unionizing Workers
05.30.24 WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representative Greg Casar (TX-35) and Labor Caucus Co-Chairs U.S. Representatives Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), and Steven Horsford (NV-04) led 46 House Democrats in urging the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to swiftly investigate allegations of Google retaliating against unionizing workers. In a letter released today, the Members of Congress emphasized that the NLRB's response to the termination of YouTube Music workers an… 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
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
Reps. Scott, Grijalva, & Chu Urge Speaker Johnson to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat
04.16.24 WASHINGTON - In response to the recent news that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law an inhumane measure banning local governments from requiring employers to institute basic heat protections to protect workers, Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07), and Judy Chu (CA-28) issued the following statement: “Americans across the country are grappling with some of the hottest temperatures on record. Yet workers in this country still have no legal protecti… 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
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Ensuring Workers Have a Voice on the Job
03.29.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Biden Administration issued a final rule to strengthen employees’ voice in ensuring the health and safety of their workplace. “The most basic right for American workers is to return home safely at end of their shift. Regrettably, workers continue to be injured, made ill, or killed on the job due to preventable workplace hazards or employer negligence. And when the Occupational Safety and Health … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on the President’s Budget
03.12.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after President Biden released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025. “President Biden’s proposed budget details the Administration’s vision on how we can continue to build an America where everyone can succeed. The budget proposal calls for transformational investments that would grow our economy from the bottom up and the middle out, and lower costs for students, workers, and families. “The Presi… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Votes “NO” on Extreme Republicans’ Anti-Worker, Anti-Union Resolution
01.12.24 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby Scott” delivered the following floor remarks in opposition to House Republicans’ H.J. Res. 98, an extreme resolution that would undermine workers’ ability to bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. The resolution would repeal the National Labor Relations Board’s 2023 joint employer rule, which ensures that companies cannot evade their responsibility to negotiate with workers by hiding behind subcontractors and … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden for Protecting Workers’ Workplace Rights
01.09.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris administration issued a final rule to address the misclassification of employees as independent contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act. “The guarantee of minimum wages, overtime pay, and safe and healthy workplaces has, for decades, been essential to supporting the workers who fuel our economy. “Regrettably, the pervasive misclassification of workers as independent contra… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott, CAPAC Chair Chu Support Su to Serve as Labor Secretary
01.08.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) released the following statements after the Biden Administration renominated Julie Su to serve as Department of Labor Secretary. Ranking Member Scott: “I fully support President Biden’s decision to renominate Acting Secretary Julie Su to serve as Secretary of the Department of Labor. During her tenure at the Department of Labor, Acting Secretary Su has… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Commends Biden Administration for Protecting Access to Affordable Health Care
12.19.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Scott issued the following statement after the Biden Administration announced a proposed rule that would reverse a Trump-era rule that made it harder for workers and families to get affordable, high-quality health insurance. “I applaud the Biden Administration for today’s proposal to rescind the previous Administration’s ‘Association Health Plan’ (AHP) rule and protect consumers from health benefit arrangements that seek to evade important requirements of federal … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Introduces Bill to Crack Down on Labor Rights Violations
12.07.23 WASHINGTON - House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03) introduced the Workers Protecting Our Wage Earners’ Rights Act, or Workers POWER Act, alongside Representative McGarvey (D-KY-03), Congressional Labor Caucus Co-Chair, Representative Donald Norcross (NJ-01), and Representative Greg Casar (D-TX-35). The bill will equip the Department of Labor with the resources needed to tackle federal labor law violations including child labor, wage theft, a… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Praises Biden Proposal to Ensure Workers Have a Voice in Workplace Health and Safety
11.14.23 WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) sent a letter to the Department of Labor regarding the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rule to strengthen employees’ voice in ensuring the health and safety of their workplace. The proposal clarifies that workers may authorize a third party, including a union representative, to join an OSHA walkaround health inspection when an inspector deems that they ar… 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