Press Releases
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
Scott, Neal, Wyden, Murray, Sánchez Call on DeVos to Return All Amounts Garnished from Federal Tax Refunds for Entire 2020 Filing Season
03.27.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), along with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), and Ways and Means Committee Member Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA) called on the Department of Education (Department) to return all amounts garnished from the federal tax r… Continue Reading
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