Press Releases
Chairman Scott: Biden Budget Is a Blueprint for a Stronger Economy
05.28.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to the release of President Biden's FY 2022 budget proposal. "The Biden-Harris FY 2022 budget is a blueprint for expanding opportunity and strengthening our economy. It proposes smart, significant investments in education, child care, health care, workforce training, and other key priorities that would improve the lives of Americans across the country. "The budget makes a strong commitment to a… Continue Reading
What They’re Saying: The Keeping All Students Safe Act
05.27.21 WASHINGTON- The most current data reveals that 101,990 students were subjected to seclusion or restraint in the United States during the 2017-18 school year, 78 percent of whom were students with disabilities and disproportionately Black boys. Representatives Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-Va.), Chair of the House Committee on Education and Labor, Don Beyer (D-Va.) and A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) and Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Edu… Continue Reading
Committee Advances Bills to Protect Nursing Mothers and Older Workers
05.26.21 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee advanced two bills to combat workplace discrimination, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act (HR. 3110) and the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA) (H.R. 2062). The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act ensures nursing mothers are provided the time and privacy they need to pump at work to keep themselves and their infants healthy. The bipartisan bill is supported by worker advocates, civil rights and public he… Continue Reading
Scott, Beyer, McEachin, Murphy, Murray Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Students from Dangerous Seclusion and Restraint Practices
05.26.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-Va.), House Committee on Education and Labor, Representative Don Beyer (D-Va.), Representative Donald McEachin (D-Va.), Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) reintroduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act (H.R.3474) legislation to protect students from dangerous seclusion and restraint discipline practices in school. The Keeping All Students Safe … Continue Reading
Scott Praises Biden Administration Steps to Strengthen Higher Education for Students and Taxpayers
05.24.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education announced its intention to begin revising a broad set of higher education policies that determine students' access to debt forgiveness programs and strengthen accountability standards for institutions participating in federal student aid. "Quality higher education programs open doors of opportunity for millions of students and serve as a powerful engine for American prosperi… Continue Reading
Secretary Walsh, House and Senate Democratic Leaders Stress Importance of Child Care Proposal in American Families Plan
05.20.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, were joined by U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh at a press event to highlight the urgent need for Congress to enact the child care proposal in the American Families Plan. The event - which also featured Democratic Women's Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Lois Frankel (D-F… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott to Biden Administration: The Honor System Does Not Protect Workers
05.18.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement calling for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to do its job to protect workers from COVID-19. National Nurses United and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union released statements citing concerns with the impact of CDC's new guidance on workers. "One clear lesson from the last 16 months is that the honor system does not protect workers from COVID-19 infections. OSHA's decis… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Remarks Honoring 67th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
05.17.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) gave the following remarks to commemorate the 67th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education at the American Bar Association Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice webinar, entitled "Brown at 67: Reflecting and Reimagining." "Thank you all for inviting me today to join this important discussion. "In the 67 years since Brown v. Board of Education, the Education and Labor Committee has played a key r… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Calls for Passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
05.14.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. "Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, introduced by Representatives Nadler and Katko. "It is unacceptable that, in 2021, pregnant workers can still be denied basic workplace accommodations that help them stay healthy during their pregnancy. "These acc… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott, 54 Members of Congress Reintroduce Fairness for Farm Workers Act
05.13.21 WASHINGTON - Today, House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) joined Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) and 53 other Members of Congress in reintroducing the Fairness for Farm Workers Act to update the nation's labor laws to ensure farm workers receive fair wages and compensation. The bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to end the overtime and minimum wage exemptions for farm workers. Since its passage in 1938, FLSA has excluded farm workers fr… Continue Reading
Scott, Mrvan Introduce Bill to Secure Support for Longshore and Harbor Workers Who Contract COVID-19
05.12.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Committee on Education and Labor, and Rep. Frank J. Mrvan (IN-01) introduced legislation to secure critical support for maritime workers who contract COVID-19. The Longshore and Harbor Workers' COVID-19 Compensation Act of 2021 (H.R. 3114) makes longshore and harbor workers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 eligible for workers' compensation by establishing a "conclusive presumption" that they contracted the virus at work. Hundreds of longs… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement Honoring Fallen Nurses
05.12.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement on International Nurses Day in remembrance of nurses who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Today's remembrance of nurses who have died from COVID-19 underscores the federal government's failure to protect the professionals who have cared for us and our loved ones throughout the pandemic. More than 480,000 health care workers have contracted COVID-19 and more than 1,600 have tragically died, including … Continue Reading
Scott, Neal, Pallone, Maloney Applaud HHS Restoring Key Nondiscrimination Protections
05.10.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-NA), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) applauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) decision to reinstate nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities, which the previous administration so… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on April Jobs Report
05.07.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 266,000 jobs in April with the unemployment rate at 6.1 percent. "Today's job report is evidence that the greatest risk to a strong recovery is not that we do too much, but that we do too little to support the U.S. economy. The American Rescue Plan and the Biden administration's aggressive, science-based fight against COVID-19 has brought… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Ask Government Watchdog to Review Funds Responsible for the Retirement Security of Millions
05.07.21 WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, House Education and Labor Committee, and Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting it conduct a review of target-date funds-funds billed as ensuring people's retirement security by balancing risk and providing an age-appropriate asset allocation for plan participants over time. There are more than $1.5 trillion inv… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott, Rep. Adams Praise Biden Administration for Protecting Workers from Wage Theft
05.05.21 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairwoman Alma Adams (NC-12) released the following statement after the Department of Labor announced it is withdrawing a Trump-era rule narrowing the Department’s interpretation of employee status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Trump rule would have made it easier for companies to misclassify their employees as independent contractors, depriving their w… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott, Rep. Wild, Rep. Lee Introduce Legislation to Invest in Direct Care Workers
05.04.21 WASHINGTON – Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07), and Rep. Susie Lee (NV03) introduced the Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act (H.R. 2999), legislation that invests more than $1 billion over five years in training and increasing opportunities for our nation’s direct care workers. The Direct CARE Opportunity Act aligns with a key… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Praises Proposals in American Families Plan to Expand Paid Leave
04.30.21 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Biden released his American Families Plan, which invests in providing workers with paid leave protections. “Paid leave protections are critical for ensuring that workers do not have to choose between their paychecks, their health, and the health of those around them. Yet, during the worst public health crisis in recent history, the United States … Continue Reading
On 50th Anniversary of OSHA and Workers Memorial Day, Chairman Scott Introduces the Protecting America’s Workers Act
04.28.21 WASHINGTON – Today, on the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and Workers Memorial Day, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, joined Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) and Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, in re-introducing the Protecting America’s Workers Act, a bill that would mea… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Praises Support for Nutrition Assistance in the American Families Plan
04.28.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Biden released his American Families Plan, which proposes strengthening nutrition assistance programs for families and expanding children's access to healthy school meals. "The American Families Plan makes a historic investment in preventing child hunger, supporting struggling families, and unlocking the potential of young people across the country. I applaud President Biden for releasing a pla… Continue Reading