Press Releases
Currently showing results related to The Committee's Response to COVID-19
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
House Democrats Introduce Families First Coronavirus Response Act
03.12.20 WASHINGTON — House Democrats introduced the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to bolster the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak and address the severe impacts of the coronavirus on Americans’ personal safety and financial security. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, expected to be considered in the House on today, is sponsored by Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) and co-sponsored by Education and… Continue Reading
House Democrats Introduce Bill Requiring All Insurance Plans to Cover Full Cost of COVID-19 Testing
03.11.20 WASHINGTON - Today, House Democrats introduced legislation requiring all health insurance plans to cover the full cost of COVID-19 testing for U.S. consumers. The No Cost for COVID-19 Testing Act codifies the promises made by insurers to cover COVID-19 at no cost to patients and fills potential gaps in coverage for people in self-insured plans. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Frederica Wilson (FL-27), Chair of the Subcommittee on Health Employment, Labor, and Pensions; Rep. Kim Schrier (… Continue Reading
Amid Coronavirus, Scott, Fudge Introduce Legislation to Provide Emergency EBT Assistance
03.11.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Reps. Bobby Scott (VA-3), Chair of the Education and Labor Committee and Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), Chair of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight and Department Operations, introduced the Pandemic EBT Act to provide states the option to extend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (or "Pandemic EBT") to households with children attending schools that are closed due to a public health emergency based on the coronavirus disease. The bil… Continue Reading
Bonamici, Comer Introduce Bill to Protect Access to School Meals During School Closures
03.11.20 WASHINGTON - Today, the leaders of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services, Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and James Comer (KY-01), unveiled a bipartisan bill to protect students' access to school meal benefits during school closures related to COVID-19. As of March 10, 621 schools have been closed or are scheduled to close, affecting more than 430,000 students and jeopardizing access to a critical source of nutrition for students across the country. Nearly 22 million children recei… Continue Reading
Representative Omar Introduces Bill to Protect Access to School Meals During School Closures
03.11.20 WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), a member of the Committee on Education and Labor, unveiled a bill to protect students' access to school meal benefits during school closures. As of March 10,621 schools have been closed or are scheduled to close, affecting more than 430,000 students and jeopardizing access to a critical source of nutrition for students across the country. Nearly 22 million children receive free or reduced-price lunches at their public schools. "As the country respon… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on CDC Decision to Weakening Coronavirus Protections for Frontline Health Care Workers
03.10.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced guidance to weaken protections for health care workers and emergency responders caring for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. "I recognize that individual facilities may face shortages of certain types of personal protective equipment, including N95 respirators, but there is no evidence that surgical masks are adequate to prevent exposure of f… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Introduce Legislation to Protect Health Care Workers Against COVID-19
03.10.20 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Rep. Donna Shalala (FL-27) were joined by 19 House Democrats in introducing legislation to protect the safety of health care workers caring for patients with the coronavirus. The COVID-19 Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2020 (H.R. 6139) would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard to ensure health care facilities implement comprehensive infectious disease exposure con… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott, Rep. Adams Call on Secretary Scalia to Take Immediate Action to Protect Workers Against COVID-19
03.06.20 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Chair Alma Adams (NC-12) called on Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Eugene Scalia to take immediate action to protect U.S. workers against COVID-19. In a letter to the Department, the Committee leaders asked Secretary Scalia to direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard in response to the emerging COVID-1… Continue Reading