Press Releases
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
Democratic Health Leaders Oppose GOP’s Health Proposal
03.19.18 WASHINGTON - Today, the three House Democratic leaders of the Committees with jurisdiction over health care, 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) released a joint statement denouncing the Republicans' partisan proposal regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace: "The Republicans' partisan health care package will not undo the years of intentiona… Continue Reading
Scott, Waters, Kildee and Ellison Statement on Appeals Court Decision to Vacate Fiduciary Rule
03.19.18 WASHINGTON - In response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit's ruling to vacate the U.S. Department of Labor's fiduciary rule, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce; Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services; Congressman Dan Kildee (D-MI), Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services; and Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) issued the following stat… Continue Reading
Scott Urges DeVos to Uphold and Protect Students’ Civil Rights
03.19.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos requesting the Department of Education (ED) maintain a 2014 School Discipline Guidance Package. The guidance, developed jointly with the Department of Education and the Department of Justice (DOJ), was issued to remind schools of their legal obligations to administer school discipline without discriminating on the base of race, color, or na… Continue Reading
Democrats Oppose Harmful Work Requirements that Take Away Benefits
03.15.18 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing entitled, "Strengthening Access and Accountability to Work in Welfare Programs." Low-wage workers often rely on federal programs, such as SNAP, TANF and Medicaid, to help meet their basic needs and maintain employment. "Research shows that most low-income people on these programs are already working," said Ranking Member Susan Davis, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development. "The … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on the Passage of HR 4909
03.14.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the passage of H.R. 4909, the "STOP School Violence Act of 2018" [407-10]. Democrats will continue the conversation on school safety next week at our forum entitled, 'Preventing School Shootings: A Comprehensive Approach.' "Today's vote is a positive first step, but more must be done. "I am pleased that H.R. 4909 rejects President Trump and Secretary DeVos' misguided proposal to arm teachers by prohibiting p… Continue Reading
Scott Remarks at First Meeting of Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans
03.14.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following remarks at the first official meeting of the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans to formally organize and approve its rules. "Thank you, Chairman Hatch and Chairman Brown. "This Committee is charged with tackling a complex and urgent problem, preventing the foreseeable collapse of the multiemployer pension fund. "Hard-working Americans earned their pensions in demanding industries such as constr… Continue Reading
Shea-Porter Backs New Legislation to Reverse Trump Administration’s Health Care Sabotage
03.13.18 WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) today announced her support for the Undo Sabotage and Expand Affordability of Health Insurance Act of 2018, new legislation that would lower health care premiums and out-of-pocket costs for consumers. It would reverse the Trump administration's continued sabotage of US healthcare markets. The Trump administration's sabotage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is projected to cause 6.4 million more Americans to go uninsured. Furthermore, the … Continue Reading
Top Democrats Urge NLRB to Protect Workers’ Due Process in McDonald’s Case
03.13.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Education and Workforce Committee, along with top Democrats, sent a letter to Peter Robb, General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), requesting that he resume the litigation of the McDonald's case. The General Counsel decided to pursue settlement of the McDonald's case - with only a handful of days remaining before the close of hearings. "[W]e are troubled that your decision to prematurely suspend this litiga… Continue Reading
Bonamici: Students Need Education Leader Who Will Stand Up for All Students
03.12.18 WASHINGTON, DC [03/12/18] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education Committee, released the following statement after a '60 Minutes' interview in which Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos continued to tout her school privatization schemes despite any evidence of their success. "The Secretary of Education must be a champion for all our students - including the more than 50 million who attend public schools. Betsy DeVos' singular focus on privatizing public educatio… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Trump’s Proposal to Arm Teachers and Harden Schools
03.12.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Trump administration released their proposals for school safety. "Yesterday's school safety proposals from the Trump administration are both inadequate and concerning. The administration has misplaced its focus on arming school personnel and dismantling civil rights protections for students instead of offering meaningful, evidence-based solutions to gun violence prevention. Our students and families do not … Continue Reading
Bonamici Stands Up for Student Loan Borrowers, State Consumer Protection Laws
03.09.18 WASHINGTON, DC [03/09/18] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and a former consumer protection attorney, issued the following statement after the Department of Education announced its plans to block states from regulating student loan servicers and debt collectors: "It is unacceptable that Education Secretary DeVos and the Department of Education are trying to interfere with the rights of states to protect student loan borrowers fr… Continue Reading
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Denounces Betsy DeVos’ Decision to Block Protections For Americans With Student Loans
03.09.18 SCHAUMBURG, IL - Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the Committee on Education and the Workforce issued the following statement in response to the Department of Education's decision to block states from enforcing consumer protections against student loan collection companies: "Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' decision to strip states of their ability to protect Americans from fraud and abuse in student loans is unprecedented and poses serious challenges for working and middle-class fa… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on February Jobs Report
03.09.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 313,000 jobs in February, with the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.1 percent. "Today's job report shows the economy has built on the progress of the previous administration by adding almost as many jobs in 13 months as the number of jobs added in the last 13 months of the Obama administration. However, even though the economy is generating new jo… Continue Reading
Trump Administration Usurps State Law on Student Loans
03.09.18 Washington: Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., gave the following statement after the U.S. Dept. of Education usurped states by saying that federal student loan servicers do not have to comply with state law to protect students from predatory student loan lenders. "The Trump Administration is more worried about protecting fraudulent student loan companies than students themselves. This is an attempt to take away a state's right to protect students, giving student loan servicers free reign to scam the… Continue Reading