Press Releases
Chairman Scott Statement on House Passage of CARES Act
03.27.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the House passed the Senate's third economic stimulus package-the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act)-in response to the COVID-19 crisis. "Today's passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, takes important steps to provide workers access to income, maintain students' access to education, and ensure access to health care for all Americans thr… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Urges Colleagues to Vote Yes on the CARES Act
03.27.20 WASHINGTON - Today Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott delivered the following remarks on the House floor urging his colleagues to vote in favor of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to say to the Majority Leader that the hard work we've done is, to a large extent, due to the hardworking staff who have been up late at night doing this work, which usually takes months. It's been just days, but they've been able to put this bill together… Continue Reading
Bicameral Democratic Health Leaders Call for Additional Action to Ensure Cost is Not a Barrier for COVID-19 Treatment
03.27.20 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 and vaccines are free of charge for patients as well as new measures to reduce the cost of health insurance… Continue Reading
Bonamici Update to Older Americans Act Signed Into Law
03.25.20 WASHINGTON -- Today a bipartisan update to the Older Americans Act led by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), and co-led by Congresswomen Susie Lee (NV-03) and Susan Wild (PA-07), was signed into law. The Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020 (H.R. 4334) increases funding for vital programs that help aging Americans live independently and with dignity. It reauthorizes the Older Americans Act (OAA), which benefits roughly 11 million older Americans who use important social services and com… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Introduction of the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act
03.23.20 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott issued the following statement after House Democrats introduced the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act. “The most effective way to help the American people through this public health crisis is to provide direct, immediate, and prolonged financial relief. The Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act will give students, workers, and families the support they need and provides substantial funding to hospita… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on the CARES Act
03.22.20 WASHINGTON - Today Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott issued the following statement after the Senate release the text of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. "The proposal that Senate Republicans revealed this morning would not provide students, workers, and families the urgent relief they need. Our country needs a stimulus package that puts money into the hands of workers and families, so they can sustain themselves - and the economy - in the weeks and months ahead. H… Continue Reading
Rep. Courtney Introduces Bill to Cover Full Cost of Future COVID-19 Vaccine
03.20.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02) introduced the Rapid Coverage of COVID-19 Vaccine Act of 2020-a bold proposal to ensure a future vaccine for COVID-19 is quickly accessible for Americans and covered by private insurance plans. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), items or services that receive an "A" or "B" rating from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), or that are recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) of the Centers for Dise… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott, Rep. Adams Call on Vice President Pence to Prioritize Distribution of Protective Gear
03.20.20 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chair Alma Adams (NC-12) sent a letter to Vice President Michael Pence urging him to immediately appoint a senior administration official to coordinate the supply and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers amid the COVID-19 crisis. As Chair of the Coronavirus Taskforce, Vice President Pence has the authority to empower a senior offici… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Introduces Bill to Support K-12 and Higher Education Students Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
03.16.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) introduced legislation to provide more than $3 billion in emergency funding for early childhood education programs, K-12 schools, and higher education institutions in response to the severe disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding provided through the Supporting Students in Response to Coronavirus Act, HR 6275, will help maintain critical child care operations, give schools the funding they need to cope with school clo… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on the Passage of Families First Coronavirus Response Act
03.14.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the House passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201)-a legislative package to address the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Americans' health and financial security. "The spread of COVID-19 will present increasingly severe challenges for students, workers, and families across the country. We will not overcome these challenges by ignoring them. We will overcome them by deliverin… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Introduce Legislation to Secure Workers’ Access to Emergency Family and Medical Leave in Response to COVID-19
03.12.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chair Alma Adams (NC-12), Rep. Mark Takano (CA-41), and Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) introduced the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (H.R. 6220) to ensure workers have access to extended, job-protected leave to care for themselves and their families amid the COVID-19 epidemic. The legislation significantly expands the number of U.S. workers who can take up to 12 weeks of job-protected lea… Continue Reading
House Democrats Introduce Families First Coronavirus Response Act
03.12.20 WASHINGTON — House Democrats introduced the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to bolster the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak and address the severe impacts of the coronavirus on Americans’ personal safety and financial security. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, expected to be considered in the House on today, is sponsored by Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) and co-sponsored by Education and… Continue Reading
Committee Leadership Celebrate Final Passage of Supporting Older Americans Act
03.11.20 WASHINGTON - Today, the House unanimously passed the Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020 (H.R. 4334), a bipartisan proposal that increases funding for vital programs that help aging Americans live independently and with dignity. The legislation - which passed the Senate last week - reauthorizes the Older Americans Act (OAA), the primary legislation that covers social and nutrition services for older Americans and their caregivers. The OAA serves roughly 11 million older Americans every year,… Continue Reading
House Democrats Introduce Bill Requiring All Insurance Plans to Cover Full Cost of COVID-19 Testing
03.11.20 WASHINGTON - Today, House Democrats introduced legislation requiring all health insurance plans to cover the full cost of COVID-19 testing for U.S. consumers. The No Cost for COVID-19 Testing Act codifies the promises made by insurers to cover COVID-19 at no cost to patients and fills potential gaps in coverage for people in self-insured plans. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Frederica Wilson (FL-27), Chair of the Subcommittee on Health Employment, Labor, and Pensions; Rep. Kim Schrier (… Continue Reading
Amid Coronavirus, Scott, Fudge Introduce Legislation to Provide Emergency EBT Assistance
03.11.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Reps. Bobby Scott (VA-3), Chair of the Education and Labor Committee and Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), Chair of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight and Department Operations, introduced the Pandemic EBT Act to provide states the option to extend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (or "Pandemic EBT") to households with children attending schools that are closed due to a public health emergency based on the coronavirus disease. The bil… Continue Reading
Bonamici, Comer Introduce Bill to Protect Access to School Meals During School Closures
03.11.20 WASHINGTON - Today, the leaders of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services, Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and James Comer (KY-01), unveiled a bipartisan bill to protect students' access to school meal benefits during school closures related to COVID-19. As of March 10, 621 schools have been closed or are scheduled to close, affecting more than 430,000 students and jeopardizing access to a critical source of nutrition for students across the country. Nearly 22 million children recei… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Senate Voting to Reverse DeVos’ Harmful Borrower Defense Rule
03.11.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Senate passed S.J.Res.56, the Senate version of House Democrats' first use of the Congressional Review Act that reverses the Department of Education's Borrower Defense rule, which would deny debt relief to students defrauded by predatory colleges. "Student borrowers who are defrauded by predatory colleges should have access to timely and meaningful debt relief. But under Secretary DeVos's rewrite of … Continue Reading
Representative Omar Introduces Bill to Protect Access to School Meals During School Closures
03.11.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), a member of the Committee on Education and Labor, unveiled a bill to protect students' access to school meal benefits during school closures. As of March 10,621 schools have been closed or are scheduled to close, affecting more than 430,000 students and jeopardizing access to a critical source of nutrition for students across the country. Nearly 22 million children receive free or reduced-price lunches at their public schools. "As the country respon… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on CDC Decision to Weakening Coronavirus Protections for Frontline Health Care Workers
03.10.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced guidance to weaken protections for health care workers and emergency responders caring for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. "I recognize that individual facilities may face shortages of certain types of personal protective equipment, including N95 respirators, but there is no evidence that surgical masks are adequate to prevent exposure of f… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott on Labor Department’s Final IRAP Rule
03.10.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor issued a final rule on Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). "Registered Apprenticeship programs have a proven record of providing workers in-demand skills and a pathway to the middle class. According to the Department of Labor, there is now a 94 percent placement rate for workers who complete a Registered Apprenticeship, with an average starting salary of $70,000 a year. "The … Continue Reading