Press Releases
Chairman Scott Remarks at First Full Committee Virtual Forum on COVID-19 Response
05.01.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott delivered the following remarks at the first full Committee virtual forum on COVID-19. "Today, we're gathered to provide all Members the opportunity to share how the spread of COVID-19 is affecting their districts and discuss what the Committee can do to provide urgently needed relief. "The COVID-19 emergency is disrupting nearly every facet of our society. More than 30 million people have filed unemployment claims; students and families ar… Continue Reading
In Response to Rising Unemployment, Democrats Introduce Legislation to Invest $15 Billion in Workforce Training Needed to Relaunch the Economy
05.01.20 WASHINGTON - Today, House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) led House and Senate Democrats in introducing legislation to invest $15 billion in America's workforce training infrastructure as well as career and technical education. The Relaunching America's Workforce Act authorizes funding to help workers sharpen their skills and quickly re-enter the workforce a… Continue Reading
House Health Leaders Oppose Rule to Roll Back ACA Nondiscrimination Protections
05.01.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairs of the House Committees that oversee the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) voiced their strong opposition to a harmful Trump administration rule that would roll backAffordable Care Act (ACA) nondiscrimination protections. In a letter, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and House Oversight and R… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on President Trump Ordering Meat Processing Plants to Stay Open Despite Rising Worker Deaths
04.28.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement in response to President Trump's plan to order meat processing plants to stay open and shield companies from liability for the health and safety of their workers. "There is clear evidence that without proper protections from COVID-19, workers in meat processing plants and other workplaces will continue to fall ill and die from this disease. It is profoundly disturbing that President Trump is using his authorit… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Workers’ Memorial Day
04.28.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement in honor of Workers' Memorial Day. "As we mark Workers' Memorial Day this year, we remember the workers who have lost their lives and recommit to making workplaces safe. This year's remembrance comes at a particularly poignant time as our nation experiences its worst worker safety crisis in recent history. The Centers for Disease Control reports that more than 22,000 health care workers have been infecte… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on House Passage of Interim COVID-19 Response Bill
04.23.20 WASHINGTON - Today Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott issued the following statement after the House passed the Senate's interim funding package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The interim funding legislation passed by the House today will provide urgent relief to vulnerable small businesses and their workers. Thanks to the efforts of Democratic leadership, this funding package sets aside $60 billion for small lenders, such as community-based banks and credit unions, so that small business… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray, DeLauro Release Report Revealing DeVos’ Failure to Collect Usable Data to Protect Children from Excessive or Discriminatory Seclusion and Restraint
04.22.20 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, released a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealing that the Department of Education (Department) failed to collect … Continue Reading
Committee Democrats to USDA: Do Not Undermine Child Nutrition Standards
04.22.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee Democrats sent a comment letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to rescind parts of a proposed rule that reverse science-based nutrition standards for child nutrition programs. The Department's proposal, which was published January 23, 2020, would cut back on the required daily servings of fruits and required variety of vegetables, increase access to sugary desserts, and create a major loophole allowing schools to … Continue Reading
As Workplace Infections and Deaths Rise, House Democrats Introduce Bill to Protect Workers from COVID-19
04.21.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairwoman Alma Adams (NC-12), and Congresswoman Donna Shalala (FL-27) introduced legislation to protect U.S. workers from COVID-19 in response to disturbing, widespread reports of unsafe workplaces leading to preventable illnesses and deaths. The COVID-19 Every Worker Protection Act (H.R. 6559) would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue an Emergency Temporary Sta… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on OSHA Safety Directive
04.14.20 WASHINGTON - Today Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott issued the following statement after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a new enforcement directive for health care facilities in response to COVID-19. "Over the past few months, we have seen the tragic consequences of the Department of Labor's failure to take urgent action to protect frontline health care workers and other essential employees. Without an enforceable workplace safety standard to protect workers … Continue Reading
House Democrats Introduce Bill to Help Workers Keep Job-Based Health Coverage During COVID-19 Crisis
04.14.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04), and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) introduced legislation to help workers maintain their job-based health insurance in response to an unprecedented wave of layoffs and furloughs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Worker Health Coverage Protection Act, would provide federal assistance to cover the full cost of COBRA premiums for workers or the full cost of he… Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders Call on Trump Administration to Help Millions Affected by COVID-19 Access Health Coverage
04.13.20 WASHINGTON - After another staggering and unprecedented spike in claims for unemployment benefits, House and Senate Democratic health leaders reiterated an urgent request for the Trump administration to immediately establish a new Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for millions affected by the ongoing economic and health crisis. The Democratic health leaders also called on the Trump administration to use all administrative tools available to assist the millions affected by the coronavirus pandemic … Continue Reading
House Chairs Condemn President Trump’s Assault on IGs
04.10.20 WASHINGTON - Today, the chairs of multiple House Committees sent a letter condemning President Donald Trump's assault on Inspectors General (IGs) and requesting direct input from the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency on legislative and other proposals to increase the independence of IGs and protect them from retaliation. "Unlike any President in modern history, President Trump has engaged in offensive and unjustified attacks against Inspectors General, criticizing th… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Distribution of First $6 Billion in Emergency CARES Act Funding to Colleges and Students
04.09.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education announced it will distribute some of the CARES Act emergency education to colleges and students. "The COVID-19 public health emergency is putting an enormous strain on our higher education system. In passing the CARES Act, Congress issued a down payment on the immediate and substantial relief that displaced students and cash-strapped institutions need to cope with this crisis. The CARES Ac… Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders Call on Trump Administration to Help Struggling Americans and Create Special Health Care Enrollment Period
04.03.20 WASHINGTON - Today, House and Senate Democratic health leaders strongly urged the Trump Administration to put American families first and establish a general Special Enrollment Period (SEP) so that people affected by the coronavirus pandemic can sign up for health coverage. House Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), along with Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron… Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders Call for Free COVID-19 Treatment for All Americans
04.03.20 WASHINGTON - House Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA), House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Senate HELP Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senate Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a joint statement today calling for additional Congressional action to ensure that COVID-19 treatment is free of cost for everyone and that people have the opportunity to sign up for health insurance. "Tonigh… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on March Jobs Report
04.03.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy lost 701,000 jobs in March with the unemployment rate at 4.4 percent. "Today's grim jobs report captures only a fraction of the economic hardship that workers, families, and businesses will face in the months ahead. Only yesterday, weekly unemployment claims soared to an astonishing 6.6 million people, nearly ten times the number of weekly claims at the heigh… Continue Reading
Bicameral Democratic Health Leaders Condemn Trump Refusal to Reopen Enrollment on the Marketplaces
04.01.20 WASHINGTON - House Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA), House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Senate HELP Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), and Senate Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a joint statement today condemning President Trump's decision not to establish a special Affordable Care Act open enrollment period in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. "President Trump's refusal to give … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott to NLRB: End Suspension of Union Representation Elections
03.31.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) sent a letter to National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Chairman John Ring calling on NLRB to reverse its suspension of union elections, especially mail ballot elections, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter comes after the NLRB announced it was suspending all representation elections through at least April 3. "The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed an extraordinary strain on labor relations. Employers aro… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Remarks on Conference Call on Worker and Patient Safety Needs for the Next Coronavirus Package
03.30.20 WASHINGTON - Today Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott delivered the following remarks on a conference call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. on worker and patient safety legislation that must be included in the next coronavirus relief package. "I want to start by thanking Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Pallone, and all of my colleagues who have been working to provide our constituents the comprehensive support they need during this difficult t… Continue Reading