Press Releases
Chairman Scott Statement on SCOTUS Decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
07.01.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court's ruling in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, in which the Court struck down a state policy that prevented taxpayer money from being used to pay for students to attend religious schools. "The Supreme Court's ruling in Espinoza forces Montanan taxpayers to fund a program which would allow parents to funnel those funds or subsidies to mostly private religious school… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on DOL Proposal Threatening Workers’ Retirement Savings
06.30.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a new fiduciary rule that would threaten workers' hard-earned retirement savings. "As we continue to confront the worst public health emergency and economic crisis in recent history, the Department of Labor issued a new rule that undermines workers' protections when making major decisions on how to save for retirement. Specifically, the Department reinstated a loophole-ridden … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Urges Yes Vote on Moving Forward Act
06.30.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Scott delivered the following remarks during the floor debate of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, which includes the Reopen and Rebuild America's School Act. "Today, I rise in support of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. "I want to focus on the fact that this infrastructure package includes our nation's schools. For decades, underserved students and educators have spent nearly every day in school facilities with outdated air filtration, air conditioning, and roofing systems… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Urges Yes Vote on Bill to Strengthen the Affordable Care Act
06.29.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Scott delivered the following remarks during the floor debate of H.R. 1425, the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Enhancement Act. "I rise in support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act. As we continue to confront the worst public health emergency in recent history, our first priority must be to protect the health and safety of the American people. "But, during this pandemic, millions of people have lost their jobs. Regrettably, in Americ… Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders: New Data Suggests Trump Administration Failing to Protect Uninsured and Underinsured Americans
06.26.20 WASHINGTON, DC - After ignoring numerous calls from bicameral Democratic health committee leaders to create a broad special enrollment period and release data on health care enrollment trends, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finally released limited data yesterday. In response, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), House Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Senate Health, … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Urges Colleagues to Stand with Defrauded Students By Overriding Presidential Veto of H.J. Res. 76
06.26.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Scott delivered the following remarks during the floor debate to override President Trump's veto of H.J. Res. 76, a Congressional Review Act resolution to reverse Secretary Betsy DeVos' 2019 Borrower Defense rule. "I rise today in support of overriding President Trump's veto of House Joint Resolution 76, a bipartisan Congressional Review Act resolution that would stop the Education Department's harmful Borrower Defense rule from going into effect. "I first want to recogn… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Trump Administration Request for Supreme Court to Strike Down Affordable Care Act
06.25.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Trump Administration filed a brief with the Supreme Court, requesting that the Court overturn the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. "With today's Supreme Court filing, the Trump Administration remains undeterred in its dangerous attack on Americans' access to affordable health care. "If the Administration succeeds in striking down the Affordable Care Act, the consequences for consumers will be d… Continue Reading
Committee Report Details Secretary DeVos’ Efforts to Delay and Deny Debt Relief for Defrauded Student Borrowers
06.25.20 WASHINGTON - A report released today by the Committee on Education and Labor details the Department of Education's efforts to delay and deny debt relief for student borrowers who were defrauded by predatory institutions. The report captures nearly two years of congressional oversight and provides a comprehensive look into how Secretary Betsy DeVos prevented hundreds of thousands of defrauded borrowers from receiving the relief they deserved. The Committee released the report, entitled "Delayed… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Equitable Services Rule
06.25.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education issued an interim final rule to redirect COVID-19 relief funding from high-poverty public schools toward services for students in private schools, regardless of their wealth. "Republicans and Democrats at all levels of government agree that the Department's interpretation of the CARES Act's equitable services requirement violates both the letter and spirit of the law. Unfort… Continue Reading
Health Committee Chairs Unveil Legislative Package to Make Health Care & Prescription Drugs More Affordable
06.24.20 Washington, D.C. - As Americans face both the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting severe economic downturn, Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) and Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA) today unveiled The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, a legislative package that will provide much needed relief by making health care and prescription drugs more affordable. The legislation also expands… Continue Reading
Committee Holds Virtual Briefing on School Infrastructure
06.23.20 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and Labor held a virtual briefing to discuss the state of school infrastructure. The briefing, entitled "Reopening and Rebuilding America's Schools," came on the heels of a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which projected that 54 percent of school districts across the country must replace or update major systems in more than half their buildings. The report also found that 4 in 10 schools needed to replace Heating, Ventilation,… Continue Reading
What People Are Saying: Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act
06.22.20 WASHINGTON - The Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act, which was included in the Moving Forward Act infrastructure package, invests $130 billion targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that endanger the health and safety of students and educators. This investment will help students get back to school and create over 2 million jobs to help workers get back to work. Here's what people are saying about it: 21st Century School Fund Executive Director Mary Filardo: "We applaud the lead… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Opening Statement at Hearing Examining Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Racial Inequality
06.22.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Scott delivered the following opening statement at today's hearing entitled, "Inequities Exposed: How COVID-19 Widened Racial Inequities in Education, Health, and the Workforce." "Today, we are discussing how the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating racial inequalities in education, labor, and health, and the steps Congress must take to address these disparities. "A mountain of evidence has made it clear that, to effectively respond to the pandemic, we must address the wid… Continue Reading
House Democrats Introduce H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act
06.22.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), joined by Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR), Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva, released the text of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. … Continue Reading
Committee Holds Virtual Briefing on Relaunching America’s Public Workforce System After COVID-19
06.18.20 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and Labor held a virtual briefing to discuss rebuilding America's public workforce system as the nation endures a deep recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The public workforce system funds job training and career navigation support, wraparound services, and helps employers avoid layoffs through supporting the financing of on-the-job training and incumbent worker training. The panelists and Members discussed how our chronically underfunded public… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Remarks at Moving Forward Act Press Conference
06.18.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks at a press event with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders about the Moving Forward Act (H.R.2), which includes the Rebuild and Reopen America's Schools Act. "Thank you, Speaker Pelosi and thank you for your hard work and dedication on all of the issues, especially infrastructure. I want to thank our other Chairs for their leadership. "I know I speak for students, parents, and educators acro… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Condemns Secretary DeVos for Robbing Vulnerable Students of Emergency Aid
06.15.20 WASHINGTON - In a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) expressed deep concern about the Department's attempts to prevent millions of students from getting the emergency relief Congress provided under the CARES Act. The CARES Act, passed on March 27, allocated more than $14 billion in emergency aid to institutions, half of which was intended to provide direct emergency financial aid to students. On April 21, t… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott on Landmark Decision to Secure Employment Protections for LGBTQ
06.15.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ individuals cannot be denied employment due to sexual orientation or gender identity. "The Supreme Court's decision affirms that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits the unlawful workplace discrimination on the basis of sex. With today's landmark decision, the Court relied on precedent to make clear that gender-based discrimination against workers includes sex… Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders Reassert Request to Trump Administration to Help Uninsured and Underinsured
06.15.20 WASHINGTON - Bicameral Democratic Health Committee leaders wrote to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma today to reassert their request for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to help the millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans sign up for health insurance coverage amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. According to estimates, more than 20 million Americans who recently lost their e… Continue Reading
Top Educator: Without More Funding for Public Education, Schools Can’t Safely Reopen After COVID-19
06.15.20 WASHINGTON - During today's full Committee hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic's devastating impact on public education, Becky Pringle, Vice President of National Education Association, cautioned that without increased investment in state and local funding for public education, our nation's students cannot return to school safely. The hearing focused on how existing inequities and achievement gaps have been exacerbated by the pandemic, causing the nation's most vulnerable students to fall further… Continue Reading