Press Releases
Chairman Scott, Chairwoman Adams Applaud Biden Proposal to Strengthen Protections for Workers
03.11.21 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 proposed a withdrawal of Trump-era rules that would have given companies broad power to misclassify employees as independent contractors and use subcontractors to evade responsibility for upholding workers’ rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act. "Today,… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott and Takano Celebrate Protections for Student Veterans in American Rescue Plan
03.10.21 WASHINGTON - Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (CA-41) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act, which protects student veterans and taxpayers from low-quality for-profit colleges by closing the "90/10 loophole." Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott: "This American Rescue Plan takes a major step toward protecting student veteran… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott: American Rescue Plan Expands Access to Affordable Health Care
03.10.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act, which includes a version of Worker Health Coverage Protection Act that Chairman Scott introduced last year along with robust investments in the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. "The American Rescue Plan will expand access to affordable health care for millions of Americans during this global health pandemic. Because of the disastrous economic fa… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Celebrates Protections for Retirees in American Rescue Plan
03.10.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act, which includes important provisions that he helped craft to address the multiemployer pension crisis and protect workers' retirement benefits. "The American Rescue Plan is a historic victory for more than 1 million retirees who have been at risk of losing everything they had worked so hard to save. Because of this relief package, construction wor… Continue Reading
Scott Praises Support for Higher Education in American Rescue Plan
03.10.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House voted to approve the American Rescue Plan, which provides nearly $40 billion for institutions of higher education. "The COVID-19 pandemic is causing severe financial hardship for institutions of higher education and the students they serve. The American Rescue Plan provides significant relief to help colleges weather the pandemic, including more than $800 million for Virginia institutions alo… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Celebrates K-12 Investments in American Rescue Plan
03.10.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan, which invests nearly $130 billion in K-12 education. "The American Rescue Plan is the most significant investment in K-12 education in generations. This relief package will provide schools the resources they need to comply with CDC guidelines, protect students and staff, and make up for lost time in the classroom. Throughout the past year, school l… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Calls for Passage of the American Rescue Plan Act
03.10.21 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. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act. "Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act. "Passing this rescue plan will give schools the resources they need to comply with CDC guidelines to reopen safely and remain open and give the resources needed to make up for lost time in the classroom. "Passing this resc… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on House Passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act
03.09.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), by a vote of 225 to 206. "By passing the Protecting the Right to Organize Act today, the House has taken a critical step to secure workers' right to join a union. "Labor unions are essential to rebuilding America's middle class and improving the lives of workers and their families. Unfortunately, over the past 70 years, un… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Urges Passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act
03.09.21 WASHINGTON – Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks on the Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021 (PRO Act) during a press conference hosted by the AFL-CIO. “The Protecting the Right to Organize Act is grounded in the basic idea that, in America, hard work should pay off. For generations, our nation’s labor unions have ensured that workers receive a fair … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on February Jobs Report
03.05.21 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 379,000 jobs in February with the unemployment rate at 6.2 percent. "Even as we begin to see the end of this pandemic on the horizon, the impact of COVID-19 on workers, families, and businesses will be felt for years to come. Despite today's jobs report, the economy remains more than 9 million jobs behind where we were at t… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott: Government Watchdog Report on OSHA Enforcement Demonstrates Need for Emergency Workplace Safety Standard
03.02.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Labor Office of Investigator General released a report on OSHA enforcement and investigations during the COVID-19 pandemic. "For over a year now, I have called on the Department of Labor to issue an enforceable, emergency temporary standard to protect workers from contracting COVID-19. Yet, despite overwhelming pressure from Congress, workers, and public health experts, the previous ad… Continue Reading
Congressional Leaders Push CDC and OSHA to Address Aerosol Transmission of COVID-19
03.01.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressional leaders wrote a letter to the Biden administration urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to update ventilation and respiratory protection guidance and standards to address aerosol transmission of the COVID-19 virus. In the letter, the leaders praised the administration's science-based approach to defeating the virus but noted that recent expert findings show the CDC's existing gui… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on House Passage of the American Rescue Plan
02.27.21 WASHINGTON – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan, which provides urgent COVID-19 relief for students, workers, and families. “Today, the House of Representatives took a monumental step towards defeating the COVID-19 pandemic and creating a strong and shared recovery for our communities. “The American Rescue Plan provides… Continue Reading
Nearly 500 Small Businesses Urge Congress to Raise the Minimum Wage
02.26.21 WASHINGTON – A coalition of nearly 500 businesses – including mom-and-pop small businesses, restaurants, large retailers, and manufacturers – have signed a statement urging Congress to pass the Raise the Wage Act of 2021, which would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025. “We can’t build a shared recovery and strong economy on a minimum wage that’s too low to live on. Workers are also customers…Raising the minimum w… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Responds to Senate Parliamentarian Ruling on Minimum Wage
02.25.21 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Senate Parliamentarian ruling on the minimum wage. “The Committee on Education and Labor included a minimum wage increase in its portion of the American Rescue Plan Act because it advances the key goals of this relief package. Raising the minimum wage would provide a direct and targeted stimulus of $333 billion to millions of workers and families that have been among the hard… Continue Reading
House Democrats Reintroduce Bill to Strengthen Civil Rights Protections, Restore Purpose of Federal Religious Freedom Law
02.25.21 WASHINGTON – Today, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) reintroduced legislation to address the increasing use of religious freedom laws to undermine civil rights protections. The Do No Harm Act re… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Praises Passage of the Equality Act
02.25.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 5, the Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in employment, education, credit, jury service, federal funding, housing, and accommodations. "Freedom from discrimination is a core American value. Unfortunately, far too many states do not have laws explicitly barring discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. As a result, LGBTQ+… Continue Reading
National Education Groups to Congress: Pass the American Rescue Plan
02.24.21 WASHINGTON - Today, 19 national education groups sent a joint letter to Congressional leadership expressing their support for the American Rescue Plan, which would provide $128 billion to help school districts reopen safely, protect students and staff, and make up for lost time in the classroom. "Declines in state and local revenues that are outpacing the Great Recession a decade ago, have made educator job loss among the hardest-hit sectors during the COVID-fueled economic crisis," the groups… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Statement on Importance of Statewide Assessments
02.23.21 WASHINGTON -Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Labor and Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions released a statement on the importance of statewide assessments. Statewide data is valuable because it offers valid, reliable, and comparable measures of student achievement so parents know if their children are learning. "Despite the tireless efforts of students, parents, and educators, the COVID-19 pandemic has … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Celebrates Public Schools Week
02.22.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement to celebrate the start of Public Schools Week. "As we begin Public Schools Week, I want to share my profound appreciation for the commitment and resolve that our students, parents, educators, and school staff have demonstrated over the past year. The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our education system and provided a constant reminder of the critical role public schools have in o… Continue Reading