Press Releases
Chairman Scott Statement on November Jobs Report
12.03.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 210,000 jobs in November as the unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent. "Today's jobs report demonstrates once again that America is on the move: 210,000 new jobs have been created, the unemployment rate is down, and two weeks ago, we saw the lowest level of initial jobless claims since October of 1969. President Biden has created more jobs… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Foxx Express Bipartisan Support for Surprise Billing Protections
11.19.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx sent a letter to the Biden Administration expressing bipartisan support for its interim final rule for protecting patients from surprise bills. The rule, which takes effect in January, is required to implement the No Surprises Act, a bipartisan agreement passed by Congress last year to shield patients from unexpected medical bills. The letter was sent to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Health and Human Services … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Praises House Passage of the Build Back Better Act
11.19.21 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act. “Today, the House took a major step toward delivering historic investments in America’s future. The Build Back Better Act that the House approved today will lower costs for nearly every family, create millions of good-paying jobs, and improve the quality of life for the people we represent. “The Build Back … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Defending Civil Rights Protections
11.18.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) announcement that it is revoking previously issued waivers that allowed discrimination against prospective foster families with federal funding and reversing a Trump-era policy that improperly handed the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) broad authority to promote discrimination under the guise of religious liberty. "I applaud the Biden Administr… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on CBO Estimates of Build Back Better Act Provisions
11.17.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to the Congressional Budget Office's cost estimate for the Education and Labor Committee's provisions in the Build Back Better Act. "The Congressional Budget Office's estimate confirms two important facts about the Education and Labor Committee's provisions in the Build Back Better Act. First, it shows that the Build Back Better Act makes historic investments in lowering costs for working familie… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Sherrilyn Ifill Stepping Down as President of LDF
11.17.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement on Sherrilyn Ifill stepping down as President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP's Legal Defense and Education Fund. "Throughout her tenure at the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Sherrilyn Ifill has been a fierce and effective advocate for equity in education, workplaces, and society. Her leadership and expertise have helped this Committee confront a wide range of issues, from school segregation to wo… Continue Reading
Committee Advances Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Workers’ Access to Secure Retirement
11.10.21 WASHINGTON - Today, the Education and Labor Committee voted to advance the Retirement Improvement and Savings Enhancement (RISE) Act (H.R. 5891), a bipartisan bill to help more workers save and prepare for retirement. The legislation-led by Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (NC-05), Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chair Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Rick Allen (GA-12)-advanced through the Committee unanimously… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Protecting Workers’ Civil Rights
11.08.21 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration proposed rescinding a Trump-era rule that gutted nondiscrimination protections for employees of federal contractors. “I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for taking this important step to restore civil rights protections for federal contractor employees. The Trump Administration’s religious contractor rule gave comp… Continue Reading
Committee Leaders Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Workers Save for Retirement
11.08.21 WASHINGTON – Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (NC-05), Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chair Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Rick Allen (GA-12) introduced legislation—the Retirement Improvement and Savings Enhancement (RISE) Act (H.R. 5891)—to expand American workers’ access to secure retirement. “We have… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Urges Colleagues to Advance Build Back Better Act
11.05.21 WASHINGTON - Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks during tonight's Floor debate on advancing the Build Back Better Act. "Madam Speaker, every investment in the Build Back Better Act addresses an urgent challenge facing families, workers, and our economy. "Within the jurisdiction of the Education and Labor Committee, this proposal makes child care affordable and it invests in securing free, universal, and high-quality preschool… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on October Jobs Report
11.05.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 531,000 jobs in October as the unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent. "Today's jobs report demonstrates that the Biden-Harris economic agenda is putting Americans back to work. Since President Biden took office, the economy has added 5.6 million jobs, the most jobs ever created in the first 10 months of any Administration. "The Build Ba… Continue Reading
House Passes Protect Older Job Applicants Act
11.04.21 WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan H.R.3992, The Protect Older Job Applicants Act of 2021, introduced by Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29) and co-led by Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott. The bill will clarify that older job applicants can challenge disparate impact claims about discriminatory hiring practices under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The bill will codify and clarify protections for older job applicants in the current A… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden Effort to Save American Lives, Keep Businesses Open
11.04.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an emergency workplace safety standard requiring employers with 100 or more employees to ensure all their workers are vaccinated or produce a negative test on a weekly basis. "The Biden Administration's emergency workplace safety standard is a turning point in the fight against COVID-19. As more than 1,200 Americans continue to die every d… Continue Reading
ICYMI: Chairman Scott Op-Ed - “Finally, HBCUs’ time has come”
11.01.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Scott wrote the following op-ed for TheGrio on the Build Back Better Act's historic investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. "With razor-thin margins in the House and Senate, and a Republican Party intent on obstruction, Democrats in Congress have been forced to make hard choices in search of a final agreement that fulfills President Joe Biden's agenda. "Amid these tough decisions and painful cuts, one proposal has beaten the odds. "Historically Bla… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Remarks at Rules Committee Meeting on Build Back Better Act
10.28.21 WASHINGTON – Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks at today’s Rules Committee meeting on the Build Back Better Act. “Thank you, Chairman McGovern and Ranking Member Cole. I’m pleased to speak in support of the Education and Labor Committee’s section of the Build Back Better Act. “Over the past few months, Congressional Democrats and the White House have held a … Continue Reading
House Passes Bill to Strengthen Domestic Violence Prevention Programs and Support Survivors
10.26.21 WASHINGTON - Today, the House passed landmark legislation that will strengthen domestic violence prevention programs and improve services for survivors. The Family Violence and Prevention Services Improvement Act (FVPSA) of 2021 - a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) - increases funding for crisis hotlines, emergency shelters, and other vital programs that have experienced a surge in demand during the pandemic. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, in j… Continue Reading
House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Workplace Protections for Nursing Mothers
10.22.21 WASHINGTON - Today, the House passed bipartisan legislation that would strengthen and expand workplace protections for nursing mothers. The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act requires employers to provide nursing workers the break time and privacy they need to pump at work to keep themselves and their infants healthy. The bill extends nursing mother protections to the nearly 9 million workers - including farmworkers, teachers, and transportation workers - who a… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Celebrates Tabatha Rosproy, Juliana Urtubey as 2020 and 2021 National Teachers of the Year
10.18.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after joining the President and First Lady in recognizing the 2020 and 2021 State and National Teachers of the Year, Tabatha Rosproy and Juliana Urtubey. Ms. Rosproy is a preschool teacher in Kansas and Ms. Urtubey is a special education teacher for elementary school students in Nevada. "I am proud to celebrate Ms. Rosproy and Ms. Urtubey as the 2020 and 2021 National Teachers of the Year. Teaching througho… Continue Reading
U.S. Department of Education Approves Virginia’s Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds to Support K-12 Schools and Students, Distributes Remaining More Than $704 Million to State
10.15.21 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced the approval of Virginia's American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) plan and distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to them. Virginia's plan details how the state is using and plans to use ARP ESSER funds to safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and equitably expand opportunity for students who need it most, particularly those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Supporting Workers and Retirement Savers
10.13.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to a new proposal released by the Biden Administration that would reverse Trump-era rules that made it harder for retirement plans to consider climate change and other environmental, social and governance factors when selecting investments and exercising shareholder rights. Chairman Scott helped lead opposition to the Trump-era rules in July and October of last year. "I applaud the Biden Administ… Continue Reading