Press Releases

Ranking Member Scott Echoes Call to Strengthen Protections for Pregnant Workers

12.04.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after his colleagues' asked the Committee on Education and the Workforce to investigate pregnancy discrimination and miscarriages at work. "I echo my colleagues' concerns about the New York Times' reporting that employers are failing to appropriately accommodate the needs of pregnant workers. I am eager to work with my colleagues to further investigate this issue and to strengthen pregnancy discrimination laws to e… Continue Reading

Top Democrats File Amicus Brief in Opposition to the Labor Department’s New Rule to Undermine Affordable Care Act

12.03.18 WASHINGTON ? Last week, House Democratic leaders filed an amicus brief in Sate of New York v. Department of Labor in opposition to the Department of Labor's new rule which loosens the existing criteria regarding association health plans (AHPs) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In June, the Department of Labor finalized a new rule to alter the definition of "employer" under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the federal law that governs employee group health plans. The rule … Continue Reading

Ranking Member Scott on NAFTA 2.0

11.30.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) released the following statement regarding the new trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. "The devastating impact of NAFTA on American workers demonstrates the importance of including strong and enforceable labor protections in trade agreements. Based on the details made available, this agreement fails to provide the credible enforcement mechanisms that ensure labor protections are more than just words on a page. As a r… Continue Reading

Democratic Health Leaders Respond to Latest Health Marketplace Enrollment Figures

11.28.18 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ways & Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), and Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that 2.4 million Americans have selected health insurance plans through state and federal marketplaces, a drop from this point in 2017: "While there are still two weeks remaining in op… Continue Reading

Scott Statement on Decision to Recognize ACICS

11.21.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education restored federal recognition to the Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), a for-profit accreditor with a record of accrediting poor performing schools. "College accreditors have a critical role in protecting students and taxpayers from low-quality schools. The Education Department's decision to restore ACICS' recognition disregards ACICS' failure to comply … Continue Reading

Scott, Bonamici to Secretary Azar: Refusing to Recognize the Transgender Community Violates Science, Civil Rights

11.20.18 WASHINGTON ? Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the top Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Vice Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alexander Azar expressing their concern over a recent report outlining the Trump administration's plan to redefine gender to exclude transgender identity. The report, published by the … Continue Reading

Support Grows For Keeping All Students Safe Act

11.19.18 WASHINGTON - Last week, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (VA-8) and Bobby Scott (VA-3), introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act (KASSA), which would protect students from the dangers of seclusion and restraint. If enacted, the law would establish strong federal standards to prohibit the use of seclusion and to limit restraint in federally funded schools, improve the safety of students and school staff, and ensure parents are… Continue Reading

Courtney Introduces Legislation to Reduce Violence Against Health Care and Social Service Workers

11.16.18 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joe Courtney, (CT-02), a senior member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, introduced legislation aimed at curtailing rising rates of on the job violence facing health care and social service employees such as nurses, physicians, emergency responders, medical assistants, and social service workers. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, H.R. 7141, directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA… Continue Reading

Democratic Health Leaders Tell Trump to End Attacks on Americans’ Health Care

11.16.18 WASHINGTON - Democratic leaders on health care committees in the House and Senate today called on the Trump administration to cease their continued attacks on affordable, comprehensive health care for Americans, following a proposed change to the interpretation of Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act that would further open the door to junk insurance plans and undermine health care for people with pre-existing conditions. "We write to express our serious concerns that the Administration's ne… Continue Reading

Ranking Member Scott: Title IX Proposal Would Be “Damaging Setback” for Efforts to Prevent Campus Sexual Misconduct

11.16.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to the Education Department's proposed rule, released today, which revises standards for schools' responsibility under the Title IX to respond to campus sexual assault and harassment. "The Title IX proposal released today would be a damaging setback for our efforts to prevent campus sexual harassment and assault. The bottom line is that by allowing schools to use this new process and evidentiary standa… Continue Reading

Top Democrats Unveil Bill to Protect Students from Seclusion and Restraint Practices

11.14.18 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08), Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), the top Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act to protect students from the dangers of seclusion and restraint at school. The legislation would make it illegal for any school receiving ta… Continue Reading

Ranking Member Scott Statement on the Trump Administration’s Actions to Undermine Women’s Preventive Health Care

11.11.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury finalized two rules that give employers and institutions of higher education the ability to deny women coverage for preventive services based on "religious or moral" objections. "The recent decision by the Departments to roll back protections for insurance coverage of preventive health care under the guise of religious liberty is a direct attack … Continue Reading

Ranking Member Scott Statement on Election Results

11.07.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to the midterm election results. "Millions of people from diverse communities across the country have come together to call for a change. They are demanding a government that works to improve the lives of all Americans. It is now our responsibility to make sure their voices are heard. "While elections are defined by what makes us different, governing should be guided by the values and aspirations we sh… Continue Reading

Ranking Member Scott Statement on October Jobs Report

11.02.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 250,000 jobs in October, with the unemployment rate at 3.7 percent. "Today's jobs report once again shows that despite the continued strength of the U.S. economy, too many U.S. workers are still being left behind. Even accounting for the increased wage growth reflected in this report, workers' wages are barely keeping pace with inflation. Many peop… Continue Reading

Scott, Murray Blast DeVos for Deeply Flawed Rulemaking Process That Could Weaken Key Protections for Students

10.31.18 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee, sent a letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos urging the Department of Education (ED) to suspend the flawed, forthcoming negotiated rulemaking process that could abandon key protections for students and give predatory institutions free reign to take advantage of st… Continue Reading

Ranking Members Scott, Nadler & Murray Release Bill to End Forced Arbitration in the Workplace, Restoring Critical Rights for American Workers

10.30.18 WASHINGTON ? Today, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced H.R. 7109, the Restoring Justice for Workers Act, legislation to overrule the 2018 Supreme Court decision in Epic Systems v. Lewis by ending forced arbitration clauses and protecting workers' ability to pursue work-related claims in court. The legislation will be introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-… Continue Reading

Top House Democrats to DeVos: Reverse Changes to College Scorecard

10.29.18 WASHINGTON - Today, four House Democrats sent a letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos calling on the Department of Education to reverse its changes to the College Scorecard, a widely used tool that helps prospective students make informed decisions regarding college enrollment. In September, the Department removed a metric from the College Scorecard that allowed consumers to compare schools' academic and financial outcomes to the national median, which allowed students and parents to make sense of the… Continue Reading

GAO Report: Students in Poorer and Smaller Schools Have Less Access to Courses That Help Prepare Them for College

10.26.18 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the top Democrat on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, released a GAO report that found that students in relatively poor and small schools have less access to high school courses that help prepare them for college. Ranking Member Scott initially requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the disparities in college preparation due to high school enrollment and course offerings in high school. In their report,… Continue Reading

Top Democrats to OMB: Don’t Suppress Data on Pay Discrimination

10.24.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), the top Democrat on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), the top Democrat on the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, and Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08), sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney requesting that he reverse a decision to stop the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from collecting data on pay discrimination. Under the Obama administration, the … Continue Reading

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