Press Releases
Committee Democrats Stand Up to GOP Attacks on Community Service, Volunteers
04.17.18 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and the Workforce held a full committee hearing on the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which administers the AmeriCorps and SeniorCorps programs. Last year, 325,000 Americans serving through AmeriCorps and SeniorCorps invested more than 155 million hours of service to their communities at more than 50,000 locations across the nation. CNCS provides opportunities for individuals to respond to some of the most pressing challenge… Continue Reading
Bicameral Democratic Committee Leaders Urge Administration to Withdraw Harmful Short-Term Insurance Rule
04.13.18 WASHINGTON - House and Senate Democratic Committee health leaders called on the Trump administration to withdraw a proposed rule that would encourage the sale of junk health plans that will undermine consumer protections, sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces, and expose consumers to great financial risk. The proposed rule, published on February 21, 2018, would extend the allowable duration of short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) plans from three months to up to 12 month… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on the Farm Bill
04.12.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after House Republicans released text of their Farm bill. "The Republicans' newly released Farm Bill is the latest attack on the economic security of American families and workers. The proposed changes to SNAP, including punitive work requirements, would put food out of reach for many. Because SNAP is tied to eligibility for other vital federal programs, the proposed changes to SNAP will keep families from accessin… Continue Reading
Rep. McEachin, Ranking Member Scott Hosted Briefing on Protecting Students’ Civil Rights
04.11.18 WASHINGTON – Congressmen A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) and Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, hosted a briefing on Protecting Students’ Civil Rights to amplify the importance of preserving critical civil rights protections for students in light of recent hostile scrutiny from the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans. “Discriminatory discipline practices in our nation’s schools hurt our children, particula… Continue Reading
Scott Remarks at Roundtable on Automation and its Impact on Workers of Color
04.11.18 "Welcome, everyone, to our first roundtable exploring the disparate impact of automation and artificial intelligence on workers of color. I want to thank Spencer Overton, from the Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies, for his leadership in highlighting how workers of color will be disproportionately impacted by automation. "This roundtable will explore the transportation sector and autonomous vehicles. We plan to host additional roundtables examining other sectors such as retail,… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Executive Order to Cut Benefits
04.11.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) asking Departments to examine federal programs that support working families. "The Trump administration and Congressional Republicans want to pay for their $1.5 trillion tax cut for the wealthy and corporations by undermining federal programs on which millions of working families depend. By adding unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and punitive work requirements, th… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on March Jobs Report
04.06.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 103,000 jobs in March, with the unemployment rate at 4.1 percent. "On average during President Obama's last full year in office, the economy added roughly 195,000 jobs a month, far more than the 103,000 jobs added last month. While it is encouraging that the latest jobs report shows that our economy remains relatively stable, there is still work t… Continue Reading
Bonamici Statement on New Report Establishing That School Discipline Practices Disproportionately Effect Students of Color
04.06.18 WASHINGTON, DC [04/06/18] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education Committee, issued the following statement in response to a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that confirms that students of color are disproportionately harmed by school discipline policies. "Fifty years after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Government Accountability Office's alarming report on widespread bias in school discipline shows that we still have more wo… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on 8th Anniversary of the Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion
04.05.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the eighth anniversary of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion, which took the lives of 29 coal miners. "Since the Upper Big Branch Mine (UBB) explosion that took the lives of 29 coal miners eight years ago, all five independent investigation reports by state and federal agencies agree that the mine operator violated multiple safety standards. Key safety controls, such as water sprays, were disabled which enabled … Continue Reading
Scott, Nadler Release New GAO Report that Proves Students of Color Suffer Harsher Discipline for Lesser Offenses
04.04.18 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), ranking member of the House Committee on the Judiciary released a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report entitled, "Discipline Disparities for Black Students, Boys, and Students with Disabilities." The ranking members requested that the GAO investigate disparities in discipline policies and practices applied to students of color,… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on the Eighth Anniversary of SAFRA
03.30.18 "The higher education reforms and investments made in SAFRA were historic in size and scope. As working families struggled to recover from the Great Recession, SAFRA brought relief to millions of students and parents. Notably, SAFRA made higher education more accessible and affordable by increasing the maximum Pell Grant award and indexing it to inflation; establishing the direct lending program that stopped using billions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize corporate lenders; and strengthening inv… Continue Reading
Scott, Pallone Urge HHS Secretary Azar to Protect, Not Undermine, Civil Rights in Health Care
03.28.18 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) sent a public comment letter urging Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to withdraw a harmful proposed rule that would allow hospitals, doctors, and other individuals and institutions to deny care to patients based on religious beliefs. The Members raised concerns that the HHS's Office for Civil Rights' proposed rule would ultimately allow fo… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on the Passing of Civil Rights Activist Linda Brown
03.27.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the passing of Linda Brown, who, as a young child, was at the center of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision that ended legal segregation in public education: "The courage and conviction of a nine-year-old girl named Linda Brown and her family serve as a powerful marker in our nation's long march toward educational equity. The 1954 landmark Supreme Court case that bears her name etched a powerfu… Continue Reading
Top Health Democrats’ Statement on Anniversary of Affordable Care Act
03.23.18 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA)-the top Democrats on committees with jurisdiction over the Affordable Care Act (ACA)-today released the following joint statement to highlight the eighth anniversary of the law: "Today marks the eighth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, legislation that ended decades of insurance companies price gougi… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on NLRB Inspector General’s Report on Member William Emanuel’s Conflict of Interest
03.22.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the National Labor Relations Board Office of Inspector General's Report of Investigation involving Member William Emanuel's violation of his ethics pledge: "The Inspector General's investigation confirms that Member William Emanuel violated his ethics pledge by participating in a case where he had a conflict of interest. In doing so, Member Emanuel has undermined the public's confidence in the Board's ability to p… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on the Omnibus Bill
03.22.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after he voted in favor of the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2018. "While this spending bill is about funding the government, it also a statement of values. When Congress prioritizes federal investments, the country makes progress. As a whole, I see this as a win for students. I support the increased investments in education from birth through college and rejection of misguided cuts proposed by the Trump administrati… Continue Reading
Top Democrats Call on DOL to Pull the Harmful Tip Rule
03.21.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02), Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressman Keith Ellison (MN-05), Labor Liaison of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), vice ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the fol… Continue Reading
STEAM Day of Action Highlights Bipartisanship, HBCUs & Diversity in the Workforce
03.20.18 Washington, D.C.-Today, the Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus and the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) Caucus hosted the first HBCU STEAM Day of Action on Capitol Hill. This unique event brought HBCU presidents and administrators from thirty-four schools and industry leaders to Capitol Hill to meet with key Members of Congress and senior staff from both parties and in both chambers. The meetings allowed the coalition to advocate f… Continue Reading
Top Dems Hold Forum on Comprehensive Approach to Prevent School Shootings
03.20.18 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Committee Democrats, and Democratic leadership hosted a forum entitled, "Preventing School Shootings: A Comprehensive Approach." "In the wake of Columbine, the knee-jerk reaction was to put more police in schools, invest in security infrastructure such as metal detectors, and turn our schools into fortresses. The research, on such policies, is clear: that more guns and schools bu… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Oppose DOL’s Harmful Rule on Association Health Plans
03.20.18 WASHINGTON - Today, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing entitled, "Expanding Affordable Health Care Options: Examining the Department of Labor's Proposed Rule on Association Health Plans." On January 5, 2018, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a proposed rule on association health plans, which puts comprehensive and affordable health care coverage for small businesses and their employees at risk. "The Department of Labor's (DOL) proposed rule o… Continue Reading