Press Releases
Committee on Education and Labor Approves the Rebuild America’s Schools Act (H.R. 865)
02.26.19 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and Labor approved the Rebuild America's Schools Act (H.R.865). The Rebuild America's Schools Act invests more than $100 billion in America's public schools. According to economic projections, the bill would also create more than 1.9 million good-paying jobs. "For far too long, students, parents, and teachers have felt the consequences of our chronic failure to prioritize funding for public education. The Rebuild America's Schools Act would provi… Continue Reading
Education and Labor Committee Approves Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7)
02.26.19 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and Labor approved the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7). The legislation strengthens protections against gender-based wage discrimination to ensure that all women receive equal pay for equal work. Today, a woman still makes only 80 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by her white male counterpart. "The gender wage gap, which collectively withholds up to $500 billion from women's paychecks each year undermines the financial stability of famili… Continue Reading
House and Senate Democrats Introduce Comprehensive Child Care and Early Learning Bill to Ensure Child Care for All
02.26.19 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Labor, and Chairman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (NMI-AL), House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, along with 96 other cosponsors, introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act − a comprehensive early learning and child care bill to ensure affordable, high-quality child care for working middle class families and those living paycheck to paycheck. Senator Patty Murray… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Foxx Announce Five Bipartisan Hearings on Higher Education
02.21.19 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (NC-05) announced plans to hold five bipartisan hearings on higher education, marking the formal start of an effort the reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) in the 116th Congress. The joint announcement reflects the Committee's shared intention to host a thoughtful and open exchange of ideas for improving America's higher education system. The five hearings will be: The Cost of College: Student Centered … Continue Reading
Congressman Courtney Introduces Legislation to Reduce Violence Against Health Care and Social Service Workers
02.21.19 WASHINGTON - Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), a senior Member of the House Education and Labor Committee, introduced legislation this week to curb rising rates of workplace violence facing health care and social service employees such as nurses, physicians, emergency responders, medical assistants, and social workers. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1309) is co-sponsored by Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Chairman of the House … Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders Rip Trump Administration’s Proposed Health Insurance Market Rules for Making Care More Expensive, Less Accessible
02.20.19 (Washington, D.C.) -Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, sent a letter to Administrator Seema Verma at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services… Continue Reading
House, Senate Democrats Send Secretary DeVos Second Request for Information Regarding Attempt to Undermine Independence of Education Department Watchdog
02.19.19 WASHINGTON - Today, House and Senate Democrats sent Education Secretary Betsy DeVos a second request for information regarding an abandoned effort to replace the Department’s Acting Inspector General, an independent watchdog tasked with investigating allegations of fraud, waste, and criminal wrongdoing within the agency. The letter also demanded an explanation for a new and troubling revelation that - prior to replacing the Acting Inspector General - a senior department official had sought to ha… Continue Reading
Scott, Sensenbrenner Lead Bipartisan Group of House Members to Introduce Bill Protecting Older Workers from Age Discrimination
02.14.19 WASHINGTON - Today, Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03), chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, and Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-05) introduced the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA), a proposal to strengthen anti-discrimination protections for older workers. They were joined by Representatives Alma Adams (NC-12), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Mark Takano (CA-41), Will Hurd (TX-23), John Katko (NY-24), and Glenn Grothman (WI-06). The bipartisan legislation is a companio… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Anniversary of Parkland Tragedy
02.14.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. "One year ago, 17 students and educators lost their lives in the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. For many of us, that day will always be remembered for the mixture of shock, frustration, and profound grief we felt as we witnessed another mass shooting at an American school. Today, we join together as one nation to h… Continue Reading
Murray, Scott Request Oversight of Cybersecurity in the Retirement System
02.13.19 WASHINGTON -Senator Patty Murray, (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congressman Bobby Scott, (D-VA), Chairman of the House Committee on Education & Labor sent a letter to Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting GAO to examine the cybersecurity of the retirement system. "We write to request the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) examine the cybersecurity of the pri… Continue Reading
DeLauro, Gillibrand Reintroduce the FAMILY Act
02.12.19 WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today stood with workers, business leaders, and advocates to reintroduce of the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act, or FAMILY Act-legislation that would create a universal, gender-neutral, national paid family and medical leave program. The FAMILY Act is the gold standard for paid leave legislation in Congress and would ensure that workers can take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for a pregnancy, the birth or … Continue Reading
On Ninth Anniversary of Kleen Energy Explosion, Congressman Courtney Reintroduces the Protecting American Workers Act
02.07.19 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, reintroduced the Protecting America's Workers Act. Courtney was joined by Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. The Protecting America's Workers Act would strengthen and modernize the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 by gi… Continue Reading
Blunt Rochester, Castor, Kildee, and McBath Introduce the MORE Health Education Act
02.06.19 WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Dan Kildee (MI-5), and Lucy McBath (GA-6) introduced H.R. 987, the Marketing and Outreach Restoration to Empower (MORE) Health Education Act. This legislation would reverse funding cuts to Affordable Care Act (ACA) education, marketing, and outreach efforts by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This increase in funding will assist providers and navigators in educating Americans about open enroll… Continue Reading
Underwood Introduces Legislation to Protect Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions, Ban “Junk” Insurance Plans
02.06.19 WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) today introduced legislation with Representatives Kathy Castor (FL-14), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Steven Horsford (NV-4), and Gwen Moore (WI-4) that would help protect Americans with pre-existing conditions by overturning an Administration rule that expands limited duration insurance, commonly known as "junk plans." In August, the Administration finalized a rule that expanded short-term, limited-duration he… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Reacts to State of the Union
02.05.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump delivered this State of the Union address before Congress. "President Trump's State of the Union - like the first two years of his presidency - largely ignored the challenges facing students, workers, and communities across the country. Access to a quality education, a good-paying job, and affordable health care are fundamental issues for all Americans. Rather than offering credible solutions, the pre… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Introduces Bill to Protect Coal Miners’ Retiree Medical Benefits
02.05.19 WASHINGTON - Last week, Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Committee on Education and Labor, along with Chairwoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions, introduced the Health Benefits for Miners Act of 2019. This legislation would ensure coal miners, who are at risk due to recent coal company bankruptcies, will not lose their retiree health care. "Two years ago, Congress took bipartisan action and upheld the federal government's commitment to protecting re… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on January Jobs Report
02.01.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 304,000 jobs in January and the unemployment rate increased to 4.0 percent. "While today's jobs report shows that our economy continues to grow, it does not account for the damage done by the 35-day partial government shutdown caused by President Trump and Majority Leader McConnell. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the President's shut… Continue Reading
House, Senate Dems Demand Answers from Secretary DeVos Following Move to Replace Education Department’s Independent Watchdog with Top Department Official
02.01.19 UPDATE: The White House has rescinded their decision to install Department of Education (ED) Deputy General Counsel Philip H. Rosenfelt as the Department's Acting Inspector General. Chairman Bobby Scott: "While I appreciate that the White House has reversed its decision, the unprecedented attempt to replace the Acting Inspector General (IG) with an internal department official raises serious concerns. The IG's independent watchdog role is critical to ensuring the department is held accountabl… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott, Senator Casey, and Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Workers with Disabilities Transition to Competitive, Integrated Employment
01.31.19 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) introduced the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act, which provides states, service providers, subminimum wage certificate holders, and other agencies with the resources to help workers with disabilities transition into competitive, integrated employment The Transformation to Competitive Employment Act is legislation designed … Continue Reading
DeLauro, Murray Reintroduce Paycheck Fairness Act
01.30.19 WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) today reintroduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable. In the 116th Congress, the Paycheck Fairness Act will be designated H.R. 7. "Women and men in the same job should have the same pay, and the Paycheck Fairness Act is a strong step forward in ensuring that we close the wage … Continue Reading