Press Releases
Chairman Scott Celebrates the House Passage of the Raise the Wage Act
07.18.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the House voted to pass the Raise the Wage Act, which gradually raises the minimum wage to $15 by 2025. "Today, House Democrats took a major step toward raising wages for up to 33 million American workers. After more than 10 years with no increase in the federal minimum wage - the longest stretch in history - the minimum wage is now a poverty wage everywhere in America. The Raise the Wage Act reflects the basic i… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Secretary Acosta’s Resignation
07.12.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned. "Given the serious questions about his handling of the Epstein case and his failure to take responsibility for his conduct, Mr. Acosta was no longer entitled to public confidence. Accordingly, he made the appropriate decision to step down. "However, Mr. Acosta's resignation does not absolve the Justice Department of its obligation to release a full review of t… Continue Reading
Scott Praises Ways and Means Committee for Advancing the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act
07.10.19 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, released the following statement after the Ways and Means Committee advanced H.R. 397, the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act (Butch Lewis Act). "The multiemployer pension system faces an urgent crisis that is threatening the retirement security of over one million Americans. If Congress fails to act, retirees will see catastrophic reductions in their hard-earned pensions. Jobs will be lost. … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Oral Arguments in the Affordable Care Act Case
07.09.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on this afternoon's oral arguments in the Texas v. United States case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. "Today, Republican attorneys general and the Trump administration are once again asking a court to strip access to affordable health care for millions of Americans. Legal scholars from across the ideological spectrum agree that this latest challenge to Affordable Care Act is legally frivolous, but th… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on CBO Report
07.08.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office released its report on the impact of gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 over five years. "The Congressional Budget Office's report comes to a clear conclusion: The benefits of the Raise the Wage Act for America's workers far outweigh any potential costs. According to CBO's estimates, the Raise the Wage Act would give up to 27 million workers a raise, lift 1.3 million Americans o… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on June Jobs Report
07.05.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 224,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate was 3.7 percent. "Today's report is further evidence that the overall strength of the American economy is not trickling down to millions of American workers. Even though working-class and middle-class workers are better educated and more productive than ever, their wages have not kept up with the rising co… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Final Gainful Employment Rule
06.28.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education released the final Gainful Employment rule. "Repealing - rather than revising or replacing - the Gainful Employment rule will prop up low-quality for-profit colleges at the expense of students and taxpayers. According to the Education Department's updated analysis, this decision will cost taxpayers $6.2 billion in federal financial aid, which will go to college programs that have failed to… Continue Reading
Top Democrats Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Collective Bargaining Rights for Public-Sector Union Members
06.26.19 WASHINGTON - Today, Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chair Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer (IA-01), and Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) introduced legislation to guarantee public service employees in every state the right to stand together and negotiate for fair wages and working conditions. Under the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act (PSFNA), H.R. 3463, public se… Continue Reading
Scott, Adams, and Kennedy and Over 40 House Democrats Call on Secretary Acosta to Abandon Joint Employment Proposal
06.26.19 WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams (NC-12), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, and Congressman Joe Kennedy III (MA-04), along with 44 House Democrats urged Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta to withdraw a proposal that undermines joint employment standards under theFair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). Joint employment standards under the FLSA help ensure tha… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott: Statement on Trump Apprenticeship Plan
06.24.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration's release of its Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP) proposal. "Registered Apprenticeship programs are proven to prepare workers for good-paying, middle-class jobs. The administration's proposal to establish a new unregistered apprenticeship program - which lacks sufficient accountability for meeting quality standards or ensuring the success of apprentices - diverts va… Continue Reading
Committee Postpones Hearing on Administration’s Proposed Closures and Privatization of the Civilian Conservation Centers in the Job Corps Program, Seeks More Information from Key Officials
06.24.19 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and Labor announced it was postponing a scheduled hearing to examine the Trump administration's proposed changes to the Job Corps program. The decision was made following the administration's announcement that it would no longer move forward with a plan to close or transfer 25 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers, and after administration officials made additional assurances to the Committee that there would be no coming changes to the USDA and D… Continue Reading
Eleven House Committee Chairs Blast Trump Administration’s Plan to Redefine Poverty That Threatens Assistance for Low-Income Families & Communities
06.21.19 WASHINGTON - Today, 11 House Committee chairs sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney in opposition to the Trump administration's proposal to redefine the poverty threshold-a move that would drastically shrink eligibility for public programs such as Medicaid, housing assistance, and free school meals. The Members note that, contrary to congressional intent and four decades of consistent policy, the administration is considering switching to a slower-growin… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Ask Government Watchdog to Look at Fallout of Trump Administration’s Decision to Abandon Investor Protection Rule Following Fifth Circuit Order One Year Ago
06.21.19 Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, wrote to Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General, Gene Dodaro, asking GAO to examine the fallout from the Department of Labor's (DOL) decision not to defend its fiduciary standard after a court decision struck it down-despite the fact that several previous rulings ha… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Passage of Labor-HHS-Education Funding Package
06.19.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement following passage of the H.R. 2740, an FY 2020 appropriations minibus that includes four appropriations bills, including legislation funding the Departments of Education, Labor, Health and Human Services, and related agencies. The bill passed with only Democratic votes. "Today, House Democrats demonstrated our commitment to improving the lives of students, workers and families across the country. This funding package inclu… Continue Reading
Scott & Beyer Statement on Recent Restraint and Seclusion GAO Report
06.18.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08) issued the following statement after the release of a recent GAO Report, entitled "K-12 Education: Education Should Take Immediate Action to Address Inaccuracies in Federal Restraint and Seclusion Data." "The GAO's report makes clear that school districts across the country are not accurately reporting the use of restraint or seclusion - disciplinary practices that jeopardize student and staff health and safety. In fact, the… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Shameful Minimum Wage Milestone
06.17.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement commemorating a shameful milestone for American workers. As of Sunday, June 16, this is the longest period of time without an increase in the federal minimum wage since it was created in 1938. "We are now experiencing the longest period of time without an increase in the federal minimum wage since it was created in 1938. For low-wage workers, this milestone is not merely symbolic. While workers earning the federal minimum… Continue Reading
Rep. Takano and Chairman Scott, Sens. Brown and Murray Introduce Legislation to Expand Overtime Pay for Millions of Workers
06.11.19 WASHINGTON -Today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) and Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Committee on Education and Labor, and Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Committee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions introduced legislation to make millions of American workers newly eligible for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours a week, providing economic security to millions of working families. The Restoring Overtime Pay Act would increase the overtime sa… Continue Reading
Committee Advances Three Bills to Support Workers and Retirees
06.11.19 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and Labor advanced three bills that would improve the quality of life for workers and retirees: The Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act, H.R. 397, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA), H.R. 1230, and the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, H.R. 1309. "The three bills under consideration this morning reflects our commitment to ensuring that all Americans have access to … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on May Jobs Report
06.07.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 75,000 jobs in May and the unemployment rate held at 3.6 percent. "Today's jobs report suggests that American workers are being put at risk by the president's erratic economic policies. The report also shows that workers' wages are still not keeping pace with the rising cost of living. Congress must take action to ensure that all Americans can enjoy the … Continue Reading
Congresswomen Adams and Underwood Introduce the CARE for Families Act
06.05.19 WASHINGTON- Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14), founders and co-chairs of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, introduced the Community Access to Resources and Education (CARE) for Families Act with Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03). The CARE for Families Act will address maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD-05), a member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, expressed strong support for the… Continue Reading