Press Releases
Scott, Kennedy Introduce Amendment to Religious Freedom Restoration Act
05.18.16 WASHINGTON - Joined by leaders from the civil rights, social justice and faith communities, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Congressman Joe Kennedy III (MA-04) today introduced legislation to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The Do No Harm Act would clarify that no one can seek religious exemption from laws guaranteeing fundamental civil and legal rights. It comes in response to continued efforts across the … Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Praise New Overtime Protections for Millions of Hardworking Americans
05.17.16 (Washington, D.C.) - Today, Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released the following statements after the Department of Labor announced its final overtime rule. The new rule would raise the salary threshold to $47,476, expanding overtime eligibility to 4.2 million workers and boosting wages for workers b… Continue Reading
Scott, Conyers Unveil New GAO Report on Segregation in Public Schools
05.17.16 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Committee on the Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) unveiled the findings of a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on actions needed to reduce racial and socioeconomic segregation, and address disparities in K-12 public schools. Ranking Members Scott and Conyers, along with retired Congressman and former Ranking Member George Miller, first requested this report… Continue Reading
Scott, Wilson Statement on EEOC’s Final Wellness Rule
05.16.16 WASHINGTON – Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Ranking Member Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) issued the following statement on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) final regulations clarifying the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) to workplace wellness programs: “We commend the EEOC’s … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Education, Justice Guidance on Transgender Students
05.13.16 WASHINGTON - House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice released joint guidance today to help provide educators the information they need to ensure that all students can attend school in an environment free from discrimination based on sex: "The Departments of Education and Justice should be commended for releasing this important guidance regarding the rights of … Continue Reading
Sen. Murray, Rep. Scott Call on Department of Education to Ensure “Robust and Multiple Opportunities” to Participate in ESSA Implementation
05.11.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, sent a letter to the Department of Education asking the agency to develop and implement processes to facilitate participation in the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the landmark legislation to fix the broken No Child Le… Continue Reading
Scott, Kline Joint Statement on Multiemployer Pensions
05.06.16 WASHINGTON - House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Chairman John Kline (MN-02) issued the following joint statement after the Department of Treasury issued its decision regarding the Central States Pension Fund: "A pension crisis has been growing for decades, threatening the retirement security of millions of Americans. That's why Congress spent years working with labor leaders, retiree advocates, and employers on a set of bipartisan refo… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on April Jobs Report
05.06.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement today after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that during the month of April, the economy added 160,000 jobs and the unemployment rate held steady at 5 percent: "Today's job report represents the 74th consecutive month of private-sector job growth while the unemployment rate remains steady at 5 percent. This is excellent news and proves that under President Obama and his Administration, we continue… Continue Reading
Scott Commends Obama Administration on New Federal Ban-the-Box Proposed Rule
04.29.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a proposed ban-the-box rule titled "Recruitment, Selection, and Placement (General) and Suitability." The proposed rule that would prohibit federal agencies from asking questions about criminal and credit history to applicants for tens of thousands of jobs in the competitive service, as well as the career senior executive service, until a conditional… Continue Reading
Congressional Democrats urge Secretary King to provide full relief to defrauded student borrowers
04.29.16 WASHINGTON - Today, 13 House Democrats and 30 Senate Democrats wrote to Secretary of Education Dr. John King urging him to create strong protections and a streamlined path to debt relief for student loan borrowers in the Department’s forthcoming “borrower defense” rule. The House and the Senate letters reinforce the need to ban mandatory arbitration—which limits students’ legal rights—in school enrollment agreements, and to eliminate the federal student loan debt of any student who is the victim… Continue Reading
Scott, Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls to Address Inequities in School Discipline of Black Girls
04.28.16 WASHINGTON - ON THURSDAY, April 28, 2016, Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) will be joined by Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Robin Kelly (IL-02), and Yvette Clark (NY-09) in hosting "Rethink Discipline: A Conversation on Black Girls in the School-to-Prison Pipeline." The event will take a closer look at the the biases, policies, and practices that exacerbate the disproportionate discipline black girls face in schools, and how the criminalization of their behavior oft… Continue Reading
Democrats, Experts, Small Business Owners Highlight Economic Benefits of Raising the Minimum Wage at Forum
04.27.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) held a forum, along with other Committee Democrats and House Democrats, to highlight the business and economic benefits of raising the federal minimum wage. Leading economists say that a modest increase in the minimum wage would improve worker productivity, and reduce employee turnover and absenteeism. It would also boost the overall economy by generating increased consumer demand. In tandem with today's forum, Committee Democ… Continue Reading
Department of Labor’s Persuader Rule Promotes Transparency for Working People
04.27.16 WASHINGTON - Today, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions (HELP), held a hearing entitled, "The Persuader Rule: The Administration's Latest Attack on Employer Free Speech and Worker Free Choice." The hearing addressed the Department of Labor's (DOL) final persuader rule, which requires employers and "union avoidance consultants" to report their persuader arrangements to DOL, pursuant to the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) of 1959. When workers seek to … Continue Reading
Committee Democrats to Hold Forum on the Business, Economic Benefits of Raising the Minimum Wage
04.26.16 WASHINGTON - ON WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016, Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), along with fellow Committee Democrats, will host a forum for the House Democratic Caucus to focus on how businesses and the overall economy will benefit from raising the federal minimum wage. Raising the federal minimum wage will stimulate consumer spending, help businesses' bottom lines, and grow the economy. A modest increase in the minimum wage would improve worker productivity, and reduce employee … Continue Reading
Scott, Smith, Cummings Oppose NDAA Amendment to Reward Pervasive Violators of Employment, Non-Discrimination, and Safety Laws with New Government Contracts
04.26.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Members Bobby Scott (VA-03), Adam Smith (WA-09), and Elijah Cummings (MD-07) of, respectively, the House Armed Services Committee, the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued the following statements today after learning about forthcoming efforts to ban implementation of the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order via an amendment in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Defense Authorization Act. The Fair Pay… Continue Reading
House Democrats Issue Joint Statement on 3rd Anniversary of Bangladesh Rana Plaza Collapse
04.22.16 WASHINGTON - Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI), Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), and Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Joe Crowley (D-NY), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Jackie Speier (D-CA) today released the following joint statement ahead of Sunday's three-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Bangladesh. The collapse killed 1,134 workers and injured approximately 2,500 more in the… Continue Reading
Scott, Cummings, 50 House Members Urge President to Make Federal Government “Model Employer” With Fair Chance Hiring Policies
04.20.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) and Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) led 50 House Members in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to take steps to solidify fair chance hiring policies in the federal government. Fair chance hiring helps level the playing field for those reentering society after incarceration and can include “banning the box,” or prohibiting questions about criminal histories early in the hiring process. “As we move toward National Reentry Week (A… Continue Reading
Scott, Hinojosa, Bonamici Laud Signing of the Older Americans Act Reauthorization into Law
04.19.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) issued the following statement on the President signing S. 192, Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015 - a bill to reauthorize the Older Americans Act - into law: "We commend our colleagues in the House and Senate for working together to make this day possible and thank President Obama for signing this legislation. Since the Older Americans Act … Continue Reading
Scott, Kildee and Nine Ranking Members Urge HHS & Partnering Agencies to Identify Additional Ways to Support Flint, Michigan
04.18.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) and nine House Committee Ranking Members sent a letter urging the U.S. Department of Health Human Services (HHS) and other agencies to examine additional ways to provide more funding and technical support to the Flint, Michigan. The Members also thanked HHS and the partnering agencies for providing initial emergency funding and services to the Flint community. "We are concerned that - despite repeated … Continue Reading
Scott, Murray, Wilson and Courtney Unveil New Report on Workplace Violence against Healthcare Workers
04.14.16 WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24) and U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) unveiled the findings of a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on actions needed to reduce and mitigate the incidence of workplace violence in healthcare facilities. Although healthcare facilities are perceived as a place to get well, many who are employed in these facilities face elevate… Continue Reading