Press Releases
NEW: Government Watchdog Report Finds Health Insurance Alternatives May Leave Consumers and Workers Vulnerable to Low-Quality Coverage, Misleading Marketing
08.02.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) announced the release of a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on health care arrangements—including Farm Bureau health plans, health care sharing ministries, and fixed indemnity plans—that are offered as alternatives to health insurance. The report found that these plans and… Continue Reading
What People Are Saying: The Rebuild America’s Schools Act
08.01.23 WASHINGTON - Last week, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Representative Donald Norcross (NJ-01) introduced the Rebuild America’s Schools Act (RASA) of 2023. Advocates and experts agree that this legislation would take key steps to ensure that schools are safe environments to learn and work. Here's what they're saying: [Re]Build America’s School Infrastructure Coalition (BASIC) Executive Director Ally Talcott: “We applaud and are … Continue Reading
Following SCOTUS Affirmative Action Decision, Ranking Member Scott Urges ED to Protect Racial Equity in Education
08.01.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) sent a letter urging the Department of Education (ED) to take steps to protect the civil rights of students following the Supreme Court’s ruling in the cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. UNC. Despite decades of repeatedly finding that race-conscious admissions policies are consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection… Continue Reading
What People Are Saying: Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act
07.31.23 WASHINGTON - Last week, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) introduced the Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act to further lower prescription drug prices for American families and rein in pharmaceutical price gouging. Here is what leading advocates and experts are saying about the Lowering Drug Costs … Continue Reading
Workers, Employers, Economists, and Advocates Support the Raise the Wage Act
07.28.23 WASHINGTON - This week, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, introduced the Raise the Wage Act of 2023. Here is what workers, employers, economists, and advocates are saying: Business for a Fair Minimum Wage CEO Holly Sklar: “Stuck at just $7.25 an hour since 2009, the minimum wage is a poverty wage instead of an anti-poverty wage. That’s bad… Continue Reading
Education Leaders Propose Bill to Rebuild America’s Public Schools
07.27.23 WASHINGTON - Today, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Representative Donald Norcross (NJ-01) introduced the Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2023. The legislation invests more than $130 billion in our schools’ physical and digital infrastructure, and the resources are targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff. “Chronic neglect of America’s public schools has forced stud… Continue Reading
House Democratic Health Committee Leaders Introduce Lower Drug Costs for American Families Act
07.26.23 WASHINGTON - Today, House Democratic Health Committee leaders introduced new legislation to further lower prescription drug prices for American families and rein in pharmaceutical price gouging. The bill was introduced by Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA). Nearly one year ago, President Biden signed the Infl… Continue Reading
Labor Leaders Introduce Heat Stress Legislation to Protect Workers
07.26.23 WASHINGTON - Today, as temperatures around the world hit record highs, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, House Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), and Alma Adams (NC-12), introduced legislation to ensure the safety and health of workers who are exposed to dangerous heat conditions in the workplace. Senators Sherrod Brown (OH) and Alex Padilla (CA) introduced identical companion legislation in the Senate. The Asunción Valdivi… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Praises Biden-Harris Administration for Expanding Access to Mental Health Care
07.26.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris administration released a new rule to strengthen mental and physical health parity requirements. “Access to high-quality mental health care and substance use disorder treatment are essential to our overall health and well-being. Mental illnesses are closely linked to physical health problems, such as diabetes, stroke, and heart disease, while, conversely, chronic physical illness… Continue Reading
Labor Leaders Introduce Bill to Raise Minimum Wage
07.25.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, introduced the Raise the Wage Act of 2023. The Raise the Wage Act would gradually raise the minimum wage to $17 by 2028 and give roughly 28 million Americans a long-overdue raise. “No person working full-time in America should be living in poverty. The Raise the Wage Act will increase th… Continue Reading
NEW: Government Watchdog Report Highlights Importance of Monitoring and Improving Americans’ 403(b) Retirement Plans
07.24.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which underscores the importance of monitoring 403(b) retirement plans in which millions of teachers and non-profit employees invest. The report also highlights several innovative ideas and state-based efforts to improve 403(b) plans. The new GAO report comes as House Republicans advance a budget that proposes a $38 million funding cut for the Employee Benef… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Leads Opposition to Extreme MAGA Republican Bill to Threaten Education Funding, Fuel Culture Wars
07.19.23 WASHINGTON - Today, extreme MAGA Republicans in the House voted to pass their Scapegoating Not Solutions Act, a mean-spirited proposal that threatens to take away education funding from a school if any its facilities are used to temporarily house asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants. Republican politicians falsely claim this bill is intended to keep students safe and address learning loss. Regrettably, this resolution does neither of those things. View Ranking Member Scott’s floor rem… Continue Reading
Labor Leaders Reintroduce Legislation to Invest in Direct Care Workers
07.18.23 WASHINGTON - Today, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07), and Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) reintroduced the Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act of 2023. The legislation invests more than $1.8 billion over five years in training and increasing opportunities for our nation’s direct care workers. Between 2020 and 2030, the direct care workforce is projected to add more than 1.2 … Continue Reading
NEW: As Republicans Refuse to Take Action on Resurgence of Child Labor Violations, Ranking Member Scott Hosts Briefing with Experts
07.14.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) hosted a briefing with experts on the resurgence of child labor violations as well as legislative solutions to address abusive child labor practices. Members and staff heard from Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League and Chair of the Child Labor Coalition, and Margaret Wurth, Senior Researcher with the Children’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch. Watch an excerpt of the briefing on YouTube. Eighty-five years after… Continue Reading
Education and the Workforce Committee Passes Landmark Health Care Package
07.12.23 WASHINGTON - Today, the Education and the Workforce Committee passed a comprehensive health care package comprised of four bills introduced by Committee Members: H.R. 4509, Transparency in Billing Act, H.R. 4507, Transparency in Coverage Act, H.R. 4527, Health DATA Act, and H.R. 4508, Hidden Fee Disclosure Act. “Transparency in health care is essential for fostering meaningful competition, which keeps costs in check for both consumers and employers. The package of bipartisan health care bills t… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Opening Statement at Markup of Bipartisan Legislation to Lower Health Care Costs for Workers and Families
07.12.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee markup of H.R. 4509, the Transparency in Billing Act; H.R. 4507, the Transparency in Coverage Act; H.R. 4527, the Health Data, Accessibility, Transparency, and Affordability Act (DATA) Act; and H.R. 4508, the Hidden Fee Disclosure Act. “Thank you, Dr. Foxx. “The bills we are considering today take promising steps to lower health care costs for workers and families by … Continue Reading
Education and the Workforce Committee Leaders Unveil Bipartisan Health Care Package
07.11.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA) and Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) announced the introduction of a bipartisan health care package comprised of four bills introduced by Committee Members. The package works to increase cost transparency for employers and patients, lower premiums and reduce health care spending, and increase competition by removing incentives for provider consolidation. “Transparency in health care is essenti… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on June Jobs Report
07.07.23 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 209,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate ticked down from 3.7 percent to 3.6 percent. This is significantly higher than the Trump administration's pre-pandemic average of 182,000 jobs created each month. Since taking office, President Biden has created just over 13.2 million jobs, which is more jobs created in 29 months than any … Continue Reading
Scott Applauds Biden’s Plans to Lower Health Care Costs, Protect Consumers
07.07.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) applauded the Biden administration for announcing multiple actions to lower health care costs, including limiting short-term plans, promoting transparency in health care, and strengthening the No Surprises Act. “Today, the Biden administration announced its plans to reverse the previous administration’s rule to expand short-term, limited duration health plans. The rule was just one of a long list of efforts by the Trump administ… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on SCOTUS Striking Down Biden’s Student Loan Program
06.30.23 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled in Department of Education v. Brown and Biden v. Nebraska to strike down President Biden’s student loan program. Under the program, 90 percent of the benefits would have gone to borrowers making less than $75,000 a year. “A college education should not depend on how much money a student’s parents make. In fact, when President Johnson signed the Higher Education Act … Continue Reading