Press Releases
Chairman Scott Statement on White House’s Inadequate Proposal for COVID-19 Relief
10.11.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement regarding the White House's latest coronavirus relief offer. "The erratic behavior coming from the White House this week is a perfect example of why it has been so difficult to negotiate relief for the American people. The Trump administration fundamentally does not grasp the urgency or scale of this crisis. And the latest proposal - which falls woefully short of providing meaningful relief for students, wo… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Demands Answers from USDA Distributors Pushing Religious Activity onto People Seeking Food Boxes
10.08.20 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) demanded answers from Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Perdue about a troubling report that some faith-based organizations participating in the Farmers to Families Food Box program, which has already been plagued by mismanagement, are subjecting participants to unsolicited religious activity. The reports include instances of faith-based organizations placing religious messages in food boxes, directi… Continue Reading
Scott, Wilson to DOL: Protect Workers’ Access to Comprehensive Health Benefits
10.07.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Chair Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) sent a letter to Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) Acting Assistant Secretary Jeanne Wilson to express concern regarding the potential misuse of fixed indemnity coverage by employers to evade the requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other consumer protection laws. Fixed inde… Continue Reading
Senate and House Democrats Demand Answers from Secretary Scalia on Labor Department’s Involvement in Weakening COVID-19 Workplace Safety Guidance For Nation’s Largest Meatpacking Plant
10.07.20 WASHINGTON -In a letter to U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Eugene Scalia, Senate and House Democrats requested information regarding his Department's involvement in the watering down of Centers for Disease Control recommendations to a South Dakota meatpacking plant that experienced a major COVID-19 outbreak. The letter was sent by House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chair Alma Adams (NC-12), Senate Employment… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Department of Labor Proposed Rule on Independent Contractors
10.06.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Labor released its proposed rule on the classification of workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). "The pervasive trend of employers misclassifying their employees as independent contractors has had severe consequences for workers and our economy. It strips workers of basic wage and hour protections, leaves law-abiding businesses at a competitive disadvantage, and robs state … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on President Trump Ending Coronavirus Relief Negotiations
10.06.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott released the following statement after President Trump announced he is walking away from negotiations on any further coronavirus relief until after the 2020 election. "President Trump's unwillingness to continue negotiations to provide much needed relief to the American people is just another example of this administration needlessly playing politics with the lives of students, workers, and families. "Over the last several months, the COVI… Continue Reading
Scott, Pallone to Trump Health Officials: Take Immediate Action to Support a National Testing Strategy to Protect Workers from COVID-19
10.06.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) sent a letter to Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Scalia and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Azar demanding increased protections for our nation's frontline workers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. In the letter, the Chairs express deep concern that low-wage, essential workers lack the health protections n… Continue Reading
Scott, Clyburn Request Answers on South Carolina’s Misuse of CARES Act Education Funding
10.05.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Chairman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) sent a letter to Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos expressing deep concern regarding South Carolina's misuse of CARES Act education funds to develop a voucher program. Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which established the Governor Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund t… Continue Reading
Democrats Criticize Proposed Labor Department Rule Weakening Tool to Advance Financial Interests of Workers and Retirees
10.02.20 Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, led several of their Democratic colleagues in submitting a comment letter… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on September Jobs Report
10.02.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 661,000 jobs in August with the unemployment rate at 7.9 percent. "As the nation undergoes the greatest economic and public health crisis in modern history, today's jobs report reaffirms that Congress must pass additional support for American workers, students, and families. More than seven months since this crisis began, a record number of workers cont… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Passage of Heroes Act 2.0
10.01.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott released the following statement after the House voted to pass an updated version of the Heroes Act. "House Democrats first passed the Heroes Act over four months ago because we have the responsibility to help our constituents recover from this global health emergency. Since then, the need has only grown. "State and local governments are still facing massive budget shortfalls, and without federal support, these shortfalls will slash public … Continue Reading
Democrats Demand Answers After CDC Weakens COVID-19 Workplace Safety Guidance for Nation’s Largest Meatpacking Plant
09.30.20 WASHINGTON - In a letter to Trump administration health officials, House and Senate Democrats requested information regarding the watering down of Centers for Disease Control recommendations to a South Dakota meatpacking plant that experienced a major COVID-19 outbreak. The letter was sent to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) by Chairman Robert C. "Bobby"… Continue Reading
House Democrats Release Updated Version of The Heroes Act
09.28.20 WASHINGTON - House Democrats today released an updated version of The Heroes Act, addressing needs that have developed since the House passed an earlier iteration and reflecting negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. The $2.2 trillion legislation protects lives, livelihoods and the life of our democracy. To address needs that have arisen since the House first acted, the updated legislation includes: Strong support for small businesses, by improving the Paycheck Protection Program t… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Education Department Finally Agreeing to Comply with the CARES Act
09.25.20 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education said it would not appeal three federal court rulings that found its formula for distributing CARES Act emergency education aid violated the law. “For more than four months, the Department of Education ignored the clear text of CARES Act in an attempt to unlawfully divert funding away from low-income students in … Continue Reading
Committee Advances Landmark Legislation to Expand Registered Apprenticeships, Invest in Our Nation’s Workforce
09.24.20 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and Labor voted to advance the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, which would invest more than $3.5 billion to create nearly one million new apprenticeship opportunities over the next five years. The legislation - which would update the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 for the first time since its enactment in 1937 - makes historic investments in workforce training to confront the sharp rise in unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rece… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Opening Statement at Markup of National Apprenticeship Act
09.24.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today's markup of the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020. "Today, we are marking up H.R. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, a comprehensive proposal to reauthorize and modernize the National Apprenticeship Act for the first time since its enactment in 1937. "Registered Apprenticeships are America's most successful workforce development initiative. According to the Department of Lab… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Calls on Secretary DeVos to Reinstate Obama-Era School Discipline Guidance, Address Systemic Racism in Education
09.23.20 WASHINGTON - In a letter to Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) called on the Department to reinstate critical Obama-era school discipline guidance, which was established in response to the disproportionate impact of school discipline practices on students of color and students with disabilities. In the letter, Chairman Scott notes that the Department's decision to rescind the discipline guidance failed to re… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Key Child Nutrition Provisions in Continuing Resolution
09.22.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to the final text of the Continuing Resolution, which extended and expanded key child nutrition measures. "The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered several parallel crises for communities and industries across this country, but few are as urgent as the current child hunger crisis. Despite the two substantial COVID-19 relief packages that Congress passed in the early weeks of the pandemic, as many as 17… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Department of Labor Proposed Rule on Independent Contractors
09.22.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Labor released its proposed rule on the classification of workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). "The pervasive trend of employers misclassifying their employees as independent contractors has had severe consequences for workers and our economy. It strips workers of basic wage and hour protections, leaves law-abiding businesses at a competitive disadvantage, and robs state … Continue Reading
As Nation Faces Record Unemployment, Committee Democrats Unveil Legislation to Expand Apprenticeships, Invest in Workforce Training
09.17.20 The Committee will hold a markup of the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 on Thursday, September 24. WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on Education and Labor Democrats unveiled a proposal to reauthorize 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 2020, introduced by Chair Susan Davis (CA-53), Subcommittee on Higher Education an… Continue Reading