Press Releases
Chairman Scott Statement on January Jobs Report
02.05.21 WASHINGTON - Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 49,000 jobs in January with the unemployment rate at 6.3 percent. "Today's jobs report is further evidence that Congress must take immediate action to defeat the pandemic and provide substantial relief to the American people. After showing early signs of recovery, the economy is once again sputtering as the virus continues … Continue Reading
Top Democrats Introduce Bill to Protect Workers’ Right to Organize and Make our Economy Work for Everyone
02.04.21 WASHINGTON - Today, House and Senate Democrats introduced the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, comprehensive labor legislation to protect workers' right to stand together and bargain for fairer wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. The House bill was introduced by House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Congressman Brendan… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Urges Yes Vote on FY21 Budget Resolution
02.03.21 WASHINGTON – Today, Chairman Scott delivered the following remarks during floor debate on H.Con.Res. 11, a budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2021. “Thank, Mr. Speaker. The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to inflict widespread harm across our communities. In addition to the thousands of people who are dying every day from this virus, millions of workers remain unemployed, students are falling further behind, and an unprecedented number of American familie… Continue Reading
Scott, Nadler Introduce Legislation to Enforce Civil Rights in Education
02.02.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (NY-10) led House Democrats in introducing the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act (EIEA), legislation to restore the right of students and parents to hold schools accountable for discrimination. The legislation, which passed the House last year, allows students and parents to once again bring disparate impact claims against schools and other federal… Continue Reading
Scott, Jones Introduce Legislation to Support School Desegregation, Fulfill Promise of Brown v. Board
02.02.21 WASHINGTON – Today, Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Congressman Mondaire Jones (NY-17) led House Democrats in introducing the Strength in Diversity Act, a bold proposal to help fulfill the promise of equity in education by supporting schools districts that are developing, implementing, or expanding voluntary school diversity initiatives. “Last year the House of Representatives made history by passing the first… Continue Reading
Democrats Introduce Legislation to Invest $15 Billion in Workforce Training as Pandemic Unemployment Crisis Continues
01.28.21 WASHINGTON - Today, House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), incoming Senate HELP Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced legislation to invest $15 billion in our nation's workforce training system, which will help support millions of workers who have lost their jobs or are under-employed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The … Continue Reading
Education Leaders Introduce Bills to Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools, Save Education Jobs, and Recover Lost Time in the Classroom
01.28.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) joined Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), and Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (CNMI-at Large) to introduce a package of education bills to reopen and rebuild our schools, save educators' jobs, and help students recover lost time in the classroom. The Rebuild and Reopen America's Schools Act, introduced with Congressman Norcross, the Save Ed… Continue Reading
Labor Leaders Reintroduce Paycheck Fairness Act
01.28.21 WASHINGTON - Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Chair of the House Committee on Education and Labor, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), incoming Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, led every Democrat in Congress in reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, help eliminate the gender wage gap, and guarantee that women can c… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on GOP Appointments to Education and Labor Committee
01.28.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to the selection of Republican Members to the House Education and Labor Committee. "House Republican leadership is responsible for appointing Republican Members to the Education and Labor Committee who can make a positive contribution to our work. These appointments are supposed to reflect their commitment to serving students, parents, and educators. "House Republicans have appointed someone to … Continue Reading
Top Democrats Introduce Bill Raising Minimum Wage to $15 by 2025
01.26.21 WASHINGTON - Today, House Committee on Education and Labor Chair Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) joined incoming Senate Budget Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT), incoming Senate HELP Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate), Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-07) to introduce legislation gradually raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025. The Raise the Wage Act of 2021 (H.R. 603) would gradually increase the federal minim… Continue Reading
As Nation Faces Record Unemployment, Bipartisan Group Unveils Legislation to Expand Apprenticeships, Invest in Workforce Training
01.25.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) led a bipartisan group of Members in unveiling a proposed reauthorization of the National Apprenticeship Act that would create nearly one million new Registered Apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship positions over the next five years. The National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 (H.R. 447) invests nearly $3.5 billion over five years to scale-up apprenticeship opportunities, streamline … Continue Reading
Committee Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse
01.25.21 WASHINGTON - Today, House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), and Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) joined Committee Republicans in introducing legislation that strengthens federal efforts to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect. The Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (Stronger CAPTA) (H.R. 485) provides greater funding and establishes new tools tocombat … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Praises Biden Plan to Increase Food Assistance During Pandemic
01.22.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden administration announced a plan to increase benefits under the Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) program by 15 percent. The program provides additional funding for struggling families with children who cannot access free or reduced-price school meals due to school closures. The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has created a devastating nationwide hunger crisis that is affecting one in eight Amer… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on President Biden’s Announcement of National Strategy to Fight the Pandemic, Protect Workers from COVID-19
01.21.21 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after President Biden announced the administration's National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, which includes guidance directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to determine the necessity of an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) and, if needed, to issue such a standard by March 15. Over the last year, Chairman Scott and Comm… Continue Reading
House Democrats to Introduce Legislation to Protect Retirees’ Pensions Amid COVID-19 Crisis
01.20.21 WASHINGTON - Tomorrow, House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-1), Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11), and Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25) will introduce legislation to shield workers, retirees, employers, and taxpayers from the devastating consequences of the multiemployer pension crisis. The Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act (EEPRA) of 2021 (H.R. 423) would prevent the imminent collapse of failing multiemployer plans and… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott: Dismissal of NLRB General Counsel Robb is a Victory for Workers
01.20.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after President Joe Biden asked for the resignation of National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Peter Robb. "It has taken just one day for President Joe Biden to deliver his first major victory for American workers. As General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, Peter Robb has consistently neglected his statutory duty to uphold workers' right to stand together and negotiate for better working… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Requests Education Department Investigation into Florida Sheriff’s Use of Student Records to Identify Students “Destined for a Life of Crime”
01.19.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) sent a letter to the Department of Education seeking an investigation into reports that a Florida public school district transmitted student records to the local sheriff's office so that the sheriff's office could develop a list of students "destined for a life of crime." In the letter, Chairman Scott notes that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) explicitly prohibits schools from disclo… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Praises President-Elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Rescue Proposal
01.15.21 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the incoming Biden administration released its proposal for a COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan. "President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 rescue package is a clear sign that the incoming administration understands the urgent need to crush the virus, safely reopen schools, and provide immediate relief to workers and the American people. "In response to the … Continue Reading
Chairs Condemn Eleventh Hour HHS Rule Undermining Nondiscrimination Protections in Adoption and Critical Social Services
01.13.21 Washington, D.C. - Today, House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr., House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal, and House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott, issued the following statement condemning the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalizing a far-reaching rule that would expand discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities, and women i… Continue Reading
Committee Chairs Condemn Trump Administration’s Attempt to Gut Civil Rights Act by Issuing Unlawful, Last-Minute Rule
01.12.21 WASHINGTON - Today, House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), House Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), and House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) expressed serious concerns about the Trump Administration's last-minute attempt to repeal anti-discrimination protections. Specifically, the Office of Management and Budget is pushing a secretive proposal through the rulemaking process without public … Continue Reading