Press Releases
Scott Statement on Closed-Door Meeting at Ed to Discuss Undermining Civil Rights Protections for Students
11.17.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after a private meeting was held at the Department of Education discussing the "harmful effects" of school discipline guidance from teachers who experienced violence in the classroom. Enacted under the Obama administration, the guidance encourages schools, districts, and states to reassess their policies for and use of suspensions and expulsions that are disproportionately used on students of color and students with d… Continue Reading
Joined By Retired Teamsters & Miners, House & Senate Democrats Unveil New ‘Better Deal’ Proposal To Ensure 1.5 Million Retired Workers Across Country Keep Their Earned Pensions In Full
11.16.17 WASHINGTON - House and Senate Democrats today unveiled the latest tenet of their economic agenda, "A Better Deal," which would ensure the pensions that American workers have earned over a lifetime of work are safeguarded and protected into the future. The Democrats' "Better Deal to Save Our Pensions" proposal includes new legislation to ensure Teamsters, miners, and thousands of other American workers can keep the retirement they have earned so their families and livelihoods are not put at risk.… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Introduce Bill to Simplify the FASFA
11.16.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-01) introduced H.R. 4416, the Simple FASFA Act of 2017, co-led by Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, Congressman Gregorio Sablan (NMI-AL), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, and Congressman Ami Bera (CA-07). Simplifyi… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Hold Trump Administration Accountable for Anti-Worker Agenda
11.15.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary R. Alexander Acosta testified before the full Committee on Education and the Workforce. As the Secretary, Mr. Acosta is the steward of the laws that govern our nation's workplaces and promote a fairer economy for all. Secretary Acosta's testimony comes at a critical time for America's working people. Despite low levels of unemployment, millions of workers are still struggling to make ends meet and get ahead in the workplace. Rather tha… Continue Reading
Members of Congress Demand Secretary DeVos Provide Full Relief for Students Who Were Cheated Out of Their Education and Savings
11.14.17 Secretary DeVos has proposed only providing partial relief for students who were defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges In new letter, Members of Congress express concern that Secretary DeVos may block full debt relief for student loan borrowers who were cheated out of their savings and education Members of Congress: "The Department should not punish borrowers who overcome the odds and happen to succeed at finding work despite the failings or fraud of their schools or programs" … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Job Killing GOP Tax Proposal
11.09.17 "New analysis from the NEA estimates that if Republicans succeed in eliminating much of the state and local tax deduction, as proposed in H.R. 1, it would likely have a devastating effect on state and local public education budgets. According to the analysis, H.R. 1 puts nearly 250,000 education jobs at risk and could result in $250 billion in cuts to public education over the next 10 years. In Virginia alone, the GOP's proposed changes to SALT would mean a potential loss of 9,264 public educati… Continue Reading
Hearing Testimony Shows More Funding is Required to Address Opioid Crisis
11.08.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee (ECESE) and the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development (HEWD) held a joint subcommittee hearing on how opioids are impacting communities across the nation. In 2015, more than 33,000 Americans died of an opioid overdose, and more than 2 million individuals had a prescription opioid use disorder. Congress must address a crisis of this magnitude - and treatment alone is not enough to stem th… Continue Reading
House Passes Anti-Worker Bill that Weakens Workplace Protections
11.07.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3441, the so-called "Save Local Business Act", by a vote of 242-181, largely on party lines. The vote today was a blow for working people and their legal right to negotiate for higher pay and to secure the money they have earned. In recent years, employers have increasingly moved away from directly hiring employees in favor of using permatemps or subcontracting to reduce labor costs and liability. This means for many workers, the name… Continue Reading
Scott and Conyers: Report Raises Concerns about Organizations Being Given a Blank Check to Discriminate
11.07.17 WASHINGTON - House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and House Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers (MI-13) released the findings of a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) they requested on how federal agencies are implementing the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel June 29, 2007 memorandum on the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to federal grant programs. Specifically, GAO analyzed the extent to… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on October Jobs Report
11.03.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 261,000 jobs in October, with the unemployment rate at 4.1 percent. "Today's jobs report shows that our economic recovery remains strong and resilient, but our work in Congress is far from over. The reality is that too many families and individuals are still struggling to make ends meet, and lack some semblance of economic security. A substantial… Continue Reading
Adams, Butterfield, Price Challenge DeVos to Maintain Protections for Students
11.01.17 WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12), a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, led a letter signed by North Carolina Congressmen G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) and David Price (NC-04) to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urging the Department of Education to allow students enrolled at Charlotte School of Law (CSL) from December 31st,2016 to its close on August 15, 2017 to qualify for a closed school discharge of their student loans as a group. Following repeated communicati… Continue Reading
House & Senate Democrats Stand With Labor Leaders And Unveil “A Better Deal” For Workers
11.01.17 At A Time When The GOP & Special Interests Are Looking To Scale Back Worker Protections To Maximize Corporate & CEO Profits, Dems Unveil "A Better Deal," Which Would Safeguard American Workers' Freedom To Negotiate With Employers Dems' Plan Would Strengthen Penalties On Predatory Corporations That Violate Workers' Rights, Increase Workers' Abilities To Strike For Workplace Improvements, Protect Integrity Of Union Elections, Use Federal Purchasing Power To Help Expand Negotiating Abil… Continue Reading
Bonamici Condemns Attempt by Department of Education to Limit Consumer Protections for Student Loan Borrowers
10.31.17 WASHINGTON, DC [10/31/17] - Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Vice Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, spoke out on behalf of students about reports that the Department of Education may require students who were cheated by for-profit colleges to pay back student loans. According to the Associated Press, the Department of Education is considering providing partial relief to students who have been defrauded or misled by predatory, for-profit colleges. Under the… Continue Reading
Democrats Raise Concerns about Latest Executive Order Sabotaging Health Care Markets
10.31.17 WASHINGTON - House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), House Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), and Senate Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden sent a letter to Secretary Alexander Acosta, Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Acting Secretary Eric Hargan regarding the implementation of the Executive Order entitled… Continue Reading
Rep. Takano Statement on DOL Appealing Texas Court Decision to Block Overtime Rule
10.30.17 WASHINGTON - Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement today after the Department of Labor said it will appeal a Texas court decision invalidating the Obama administration's overtime rule, which would extend overtime protections to millions of middle-class workers. "I share the widely held view that the Texas court decision to block the overtime rule was deeply flawed and jeopardizes the Department of Labor's basic authority to issue rules that protect American workers. In th… Continue Reading
Joint Subcommittee Highlights Need To Invest In Cybersecurity Workforce Development
10.24.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a joint hearing with the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection on the need to invest in the development of a strong and diverse talent pipeline for cybersecurity professionals in federal, state, and local governments, as well as the private sector to ensure America's security in the 21st century. "This an urgent problem that has serious ramifications for our national security," said Con… Continue Reading
Members of Congress Urge Trump Administration to Provide Relief to Schools in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
10.24.17 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), and Representatives Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), and Jenniffer González-Colón (PR-AL), led 58 other Members of Congress in writing a letter to the Trump Administration urging them to prioritize providing relief to schools located in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Over the last two months, both territories have been devastated by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. "Schools play a central role in these devastated communit… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Rollback of Guidance on Special Education
10.20.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services rescinded 72 documents that provide guidelines on special education policy: "Today the Department of Education took another harmful regulatory reform step by rescinding 72 guidance documents for individuals with disabilities served under the Rehabilitation Act and students with disabilities served under the Individuals with Di… Continue Reading
Democrats Demand Trump Administration Documents Used to Justify Ending Consumer Health Care Subsidies
10.17.17 WASHINGTON - Top House and Senate Democratic health leaders demanded that the Trump Administration provide Congress with documents used to justify the Administration's decision to terminate the cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments, including any analyses of the decision's impact on consumer health insurance costs, access to health insurance, and federal spending, in letters sent today to the President and Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Eric D. Hargan. The Administration's decision … Continue Reading
Shea-Porter Statement on Trump’s Spiteful Decision to Torpedo the Individual Insurance Market
10.13.17 WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) released the following statement regarding President Trump's announcement that he will order the federal government to stop making the Cost-Sharing Reduction payments it owes: "Late last night, President Trump announced that he will torpedo the individual insurance market by ordering the government to stop making the Cost-Sharing Reduction (CSR) payments it owes. He is right to be so ashamed of this spiteful action he would only announce it i… Continue Reading