Press Releases
Scott, Hinojosa, Congressional Tri-Caucus Statement on Cuts to Pell Grants
06.07.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15), and the Congressional Tri-Caucus-which is comprised of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC)- released the following statements regarding cuts to the Pell Grant program in the 2017 Senate Labor, H… Continue Reading
Scott, Conyers Statement on New Civil Rights Data from Department of Education
06.07.16 WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) unveiled new data from the 2013-2014 school year showing gaps that remain in educational equity and opportunity for students. Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) released the following statement on the release of the new data by OCR: "The report released today from the Department of Education is a dis… Continue Reading
May: Scott Statement on Jobs Report
06.03.16 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 May, the economy added 38,000 jobs and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.7 percent: "Today's job report represents the 75th consecutive month of private sector job growth. This extends the longest streak of job growth on record, which was previously set in April 2000 at 51 months. However, considering the drop off from previous… Continue Reading
Ranking Members Cummings, Waters, and Scott Criticize Lawsuit to Undermine Conflict of Interest Rule
06.02.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Reps. Elijah E. Cummings, Maxine Waters, and Bobby Scott, Ranking Members of the House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Financial Services, and Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement on news that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, and other industry groups have filed a lawsuit to overturn the Department of Labor's conflict of interest rule: "Quite simply, the Department of Labor's new rule h… Continue Reading
Scott, Hinojosa Urge Appropriations Subcommittees to Protect Pell Grants for Students
06.02.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Ranking Member Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) sent a letter to Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) expressing concern with proposals that would weaken the Pell Grant program in the FY 2017 LHHS bill, and supporting an increase in the maximum Pell Grant award. Committee Democrats believe that students should have access to a higher education that… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Education Department’s Proposed Rule to Enhance Equity and Excellence in Schools
05.26.16 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to implement provisions of the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) regarding school accountability, data reporting, and consolidated state plans. Earlier this week, ranking members Scott and Patty Murray (D-WA) sent a letter to Secretary of Education John King, requesting that the Department use… Continue Reading
New GAO Report: Workers in Meat and Poultry Industry Face High, Persistent Rates of Injury and Illness
05.25.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), and Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), released the findings of a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on actions needed to address continued hazards in the meat and poultry industry. The report found that workers in meat and poultry plants continue to face unsafe working conditions, and confirms that many injuries and illnesses go underreported as workers may fear for their jobs if they repor… Continue Reading
Murray, Scott Urge Education Department to Hold States, School Districts, and Schools Accountable for Effectively Implementing New K-12 Education Law
05.24.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee sent a letter to Secretary of Education John King, requesting that the Department use its full authority to issue strong accountability regulations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to help ensure schools and states provide a quality education to every s… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Report Confirming Lack of Racial and Gender Diversity in the Tech Industry
05.20.16 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) released its "Diversity in High Tech" report. The EEOC conducted this study at the request of Ranking Member Scott. "I am pleased that the EEOC conducted this analysis on race and gender representation in the high tech sector nationally, with a special focus on Silicon Valley. I requested this report from the … Continue Reading
Scott, Nadler, Nearly 90 Members Issue Joint Statement on Verizon Labor Negotiations
05.19.16 WASHINGTON - TODAY, House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and 86 Members of Congress issued the following joint statement regarding the Verizon strike and ongoing labor negotiations: "We applaud Verizon's success and its ability to be profitable throughout the changes that have taken place in the telecommunications industry, but are deeply concerned about the ongoing Verizon strike." "Verizon workers build, install and… Continue Reading
Committee Republicans Pass Harmful Bill Restricting Access to Healthy School Meals
05.18.16 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Committee Republicans voted (20-14) to turn back the clock on the evidence-based nutritional standards of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The Majority's bill - H.R. 5003, the so-called "Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016" - contains many harmful provisions that would make it more difficult for low-income schools to feed their students. Despite the innocuous title, H.R. 5003 threatens to eliminate and weaken the nutrition safety net for our nation's… Continue Reading
Republicans Vote to Keep Workers in the Dark During Union Organizing Campaigns
05.18.16 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and Workforce Republicans voted to keep workers in the dark by approving a Congressional Review Act to overturn the Department of Labor’s (DOL) final persuader rule. The rule 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. “This resolution of disapproval harms workers’ free choice in deciding whether to be represente… Continue Reading
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 deliberative process in develo… 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