Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Civil Rights in Employment
Scott on the Administration’s Continued Attempts to Promote Discrimination
01.18.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announcement on its decision to create a new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division in the Office for Civil Rights: "Today, the Trump administration announced its decision to create a new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division in the Office for Civil Rights. This announcement must be examined as part of the administration's broader pattern of promoting di… Continue Reading
Scott, Butterfield, Lee Unveil New Report on Diversity in the Tech
11.30.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce was joined by Reps. G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) and Barbara Lee (CA-09) to release a Government Accountability Office report entitled, "Diversity in the Technology Sector: Federal Agencies Could Improve Oversight of Equal Employment Opportunity Requirements." The report found that the environment and access to these opportunities have not improved in more than a decade, for women, Black an… Continue Reading
Top Democrats Raise Concerns about Roll Back of Civil Rights Under Guise of Religious Freedom
11.21.17 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (MD-07), Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), and Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (NY-17) sent a letter to Acting Secretary Eric Hargan in response to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Request for Informatio… Continue Reading
Scott and Conyers: Report Raises Concerns about Organizations Being Given a Blank Check to Discriminate
11.07.17 WASHINGTON - House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and House Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers (MI-13) released the findings of a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) they requested on how federal agencies are implementing the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel June 29, 2007 memorandum on the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to federal grant programs. Specifically, GAO analyzed the extent to… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Trump Administration Actions Legalizing Discrimination
10.06.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued government-wide legal guidance that outlined broad exemptions for "religious freedom." "Today, the Trump Administration released a regulation that would limit access to contraceptive health services and a memorandum that misapplies federal law to facilitate employment-based discrimination. "First, the Trump Administration issued regulations, effective immediately, that wou… Continue Reading
Scott and Takano Joint Statement on Rollback of Transgender Worker Rights
10.05.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Representative Mark Takano (CA-41), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, issued the following statement after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Department of Justice is reversing a policy that protects transgender workers from discrimination. "Attorney General Sessions' decision to dismiss the Obama administration's memo to protect transgender Americans under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act is yet another … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on SCOTUS Decision to Hear Challenge to Public Sector Unions
09.28.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court issued its decision to grant certiorari in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31. This case considers whether to overturn 40 years of precedent established in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, which upheld the requirement that state and local government employees who object to paying for union representation may be required to pay fees to cover the cost of representation: "Since 1977, following the Ab… Continue Reading
Reps. DeLauro, Frankel, Cicilline, Scott and Senators Murray, Booker, and Gillibrand Slam President Trump’s Attack on Equal Pay for Equal Work
09.19.17 WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21), Congressman David Cicilline (RI-01), Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Booker (D-NJ), and Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) today led over 100 Members of the Congress in writing to the Office of Management and Budget and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in response to the Trump Administration's recent announcement of an immediate stay and review on collecting pay data on th… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Judiciary Committee Passing Bill Attacking Civil Rights For People with Disabilities
09.07.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the House Judiciary Committee passed, on a party-line vote, H.R. 620 the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017, legislation that attacks the civil rights of Americans with disabilities. "The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a bipartisan civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and ensures access to places of employment, schools, as well as public buildings and … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Roll Back of Workplace Civil Rights Protections
08.29.17 WASHINGTON - Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, released the following statement after the Administrator at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has halted the collection of pay data under the expanded EEO1 survey. "Today, the Trump Administration has taken another step to roll back workplace civil rights protections. Since the enactment of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEO… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on President Trump’s Response to the Violence in Charlottesville
08.14.17 WASHINGTON - Days after the horrific violence at a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, President Trump finally named the groups who perpetrated the violence: white supremacists and neo-Nazi sympathizers. Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement in reaction to the President's remarks: "While I welcome the President's condemnation of overt racism and white nationalism in response to this weekend's horrible events, I remind everyone that actions speak loud… Continue Reading
Kennedy, Scott Reintroduce Amendment to Religious Freedom Restoration Act
07.13.17 WASHINGTON - With the support of leaders from the civil rights, social justice and faith communities, Congressman Joe Kennedy III (MA-04) and Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, today reintroduced legislation to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The Do No Harm Act would clarify that no one can seek religious exemption from laws guaranteeing fundamental civil and legal rights. It comes in response to continued efforts… Continue Reading
Scott, Sensenbrenner Celebrate Older Americans Month By Introducing Bipartisan Bill to Protect Older Workers
05.25.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-05) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen anti-discrimination protections for older workers. The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act is a companion to a Senate bill of the same name, introduced by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT). Congressman Mark T… Continue Reading
Rep. Mark Takano Condemns Trump Proposal to Eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
05.23.17 Washington, DC - Representative Mark Takano (D-CA) today condemned the proposal in the Trump Administration's FY2018 budget to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and reassign its responsibilities to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Though both are tasked with addressing civil rights issues related to employment, the purposes of the OFCCP and the EEOC are distinct. The OFCCP ensures that federal contractors comply with federal standards relate… Continue Reading
At Hearing, Committee Democrats Oppose Efforts to Weaken Workplace Discrimination Safeguard
05.23.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing on "The Need for More Responsible Regulatory and Enforcement Policies at the EEOC." More than 50 years after the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Commission continues to perform vital work combatting discrimination and advancing civil rights in the workplace. In its nearly 52-year existence, the EEOC has played a crucial role in laws that protect workers from discrimination on the job.… Continue Reading
Scott, Conyers Statement on Latest Trump Actions to Enable Discrimination
05.04.17 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Committee on the Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers (MI-13) issued the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order on the National Day of Prayer, that allegedly promotes "religious liberty": "Religious liberty is a fundamental American value. However, the executive order signed today by the Trump Administration would permit individuals to use their 'conscience-based objection… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on the Trump Administration Rolling Back Workplace Rule, Giving Serial Labor Law Violators a Free Pass
03.27.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump signed a Resolution of Disapproval (H.J. Res 37) which overturned the rule implementing the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order (EO). This rule would have ensured that contractors disclose their labor, safety and civil rights violations, and that federal agencies evaluate those violations which are serious, willful, repeated, and pervasive when determining whether a contractor should… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Urge Senate to Press Acosta on Upholding DOL Mission
03.21.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Committee on the Education and Workforce Democrats sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions regarding the upcoming nomination hearing of Mr. R. Alexander Acosta, President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Department of Labor. Specifically, they want to know how Mr. Acosta intends to carry out the DOL's mission to "foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners [.]" "During Mr. Acosta's upcoming… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Trump Administration Rollback of LGBTQ Protections
02.22.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the White House announced that it will repeal the Obama Administration's Title IX guidance protecting the rights of transgender students. "The impact of the Trump Administration's repeal of the Title IX guidance leaves LGBTQ students in at least 31 states vulnerable to bullying and discrimination. A student's right to equal education should not be impeded by an unsafe learning environment. "Last May, the Obama… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Final EEOC Rule on Collecting Pay Data
09.29.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued the final revisions on the collection of aggregate pay and hour data through its Employer Information Report (EEO-1) form. This revision will level the playing field for working people by providing clarity for the EEOC to analyze pay data and better allocate resources to enforce Title VII and the Equal Pay Act. "Discrimination remains a persiste… Continue Reading