Press Releases
Scott, Levin, Pallone: Six Strong Years for the ACA
03.23.16 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 23, 2016 CONTACTS Kiara Pesante (Scott), 202-226-0853 Kevin Parker (Levin), 202-226-3354 Christine Brennan (Pallone), 202-225-5735 WASHINGTON, DC - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI), and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ)- the top Democrats on committees with jurisdiction over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) - … Continue Reading
Members Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Efforts Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect
03.23.16 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce today introduced the Improving Safe Care for the Prevention of Infant Abuse and Neglect Act. The legislation will strengthen efforts to prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect by strengthening and requiring the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to better ensure states are meeting current child welfare requirements. Upon introduction, the bill's co-sponsors released the following statements: "We … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Update the Older Americans Act
03.21.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the passage of S. 192, Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015 - a bill to reauthorize the Older Americans Act: "Today's bipartisan vote to reauthorize the Older Americans Act underscores our moral obligation to help older Americans live in dignity and stay connected to their communities. "I commend my colleagues for their commitment and diligence to reauthorize the Older Americans Act in … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on House Republicans’ Budget for FY 2017
03.17.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement regarding the Republicans' budget plan that demands $6.5 trillion in cuts - the most extreme and harmful cuts ever proposed by Republicans on the House Budget Committee: "In spite of the fact that we have an existing budget agreement for FY17 and the House Majority has called for new 'solutions [that] are… sensible and innovative,' we are instead presented with a budget proposal that would incre… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Call for Investments in Labor Department Programs to Strengthen the Nation’s Working Families
03.16.16 WASHINGTON - Today, the full Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing entitled "Examining the Policies and Priorities of the U.S. Department of Labor." The hearing focused on the Fiscal Year 2017 budget request for the Department of Labor (DOL) to continue to expand opportunities and pathways to the middle class for all working families. "I commend Secretary Perez and the Department of Labor for their efforts to boost wages, level the playing field, and help workers balance wo… Continue Reading
Democrats Call for Investments in HHS Programs to Support Nation’s Families
03.15.16 WASHINGTON - Today the Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing entitled, "Examining the Policies and Priorities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services". The hearing focused on funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue to expand critical investments that protect the health and wellbeing of hardworking American families, and invest in our nation - from childhood into advanced age. "From the Ebola outbreak to Zika to the Flint crisis, … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Confirmation Vote of Dr. King
03.14.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the U.S Senate voted to confirm Dr. John B. King, Jr. to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education: "I applaud today's Senate vote to confirm Dr. King as our nation's 10th U.S. Secretary of Education. Dr. King brings a continued commitment to advancing excellence and equity for every student, elevating the teaching profession, and improving access to higher education, college affordability and completi… Continue Reading
Ranking Members Scott and Waters: Student Borrowers Deserve Immediate Debt Relief after Attending Schools Engaged In Deceptive & Predatory Practices
03.09.16 Democratic Leaders on Education and Financial Services Committees Press for Relief to Groups of Students Who Have Been Victims of Predatory Practices Washington - Today, House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA) and House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) sent a letter to President Obama urging his Administration to enhance protections for student borrowers as the Department of Education proposes new rules regarding a bo… Continue Reading
Scott Applauds Senate HELP Committee Vote to Advance Nomination of Dr. King
03.09.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Senate HELP Committee voted to advance the nomination of Dr. John B. King, Jr. to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education: "I applaud today's HELP Committee vote in favor of Dr. King to serve as our nation's 10th Secretary of Education. We have a moral and civil rights obligation to ensure every student has the opportunity to fulfill his or her academic and lifelong potential. As I have stated i… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on February Jobs Report
03.04.16 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 February, the economy added 242,000 jobs: "Today's job report represents the 72nd consecutive month of private sector job growth with unemployment remaining steady at 4.9 percent. Our economy is steadily growing and more Americans are finding opportunities. However, more work must be done to strengthen our economy and grow wor… Continue Reading
Scott Applauds HHS’ Expansion of Head Start, Early Head Start Services in Flint
03.03.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott issued the following statement about today's announcement that Head Start and Early Head Start services in Flint, Michigan will receive an additional $3.6 million from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Head Start. The funding will enhance and expand Head Start and Early Head Start for Flint's children and families: "The increased funding for Head Start and Early Head Start to improve access and expand the school year for F… Continue Reading
ADVISORY: Scott, Hinojosa to Host Forum on Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act
03.02.16 WASHINGTON - March 2, 2016, Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, will host a forum on the long overdue reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Individuals with higher levels of education are less likely to be unemployed, receive public assistance, work in unskilled jobs with little upward mobility, an… Continue Reading
#BHM2016 Rep. Fudge on High-Quality, Early Education
02.29.16 African-American children are often hindered by few, or no, high-quality, early education opportunities. In fact, 75 percent of Black children do not have access to early education centers at all. This deficiency has created a glaring achievement gap and left many children unprepared for school. The Working Families Agenda includes The Strong Start for America’s Children act, a bill that would expand and improve early learning opportunities for children across the birth-to-age-five continuum. … Continue Reading
King Pledges to Uphold Congressional Intent to Protect Educational Equity in ESSA Implementation
02.25.16 WASHINGTON - Today, the full Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing entitled, "Next Steps for K-12 Education: Upholding the Letter and Intent of the Every Student Succeeds Act". With the bipartisan passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), effort has now shifts to the implementation of the new law. This was the first full committee oversight hearing specifically on ESSA implementation, and Committee Democrats emphasized the Department of Education's constitutional duty t… Continue Reading
Scott Applauds Department of Education Action to Address Fairness in Special Education for Students of Color
02.23.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for an 'Equity in IDEA' rule, aimed toward addressing widespread disparities in the treatment of students of color with disabilities: "I applaud today's announcement from the U.S. Department of Education (Department), which aims to address widespread disparities in the treatment of students of color with disabilities through a n… Continue Reading
Reps. Scott, Conyers, Nadler and Cohen Ask DOJ to Have 2007 OLC RFRA Opinion Reconsidered
02.23.16 For Immediate Release: February 23, 2016 Contact: Kiara Pesante (Scott) 202-226-0853 Stephanie Báez (Conyers) 202-225-6906 Daniel Schwarz (Nadler) 202-225-5635 Michael Eisenstatt (Cohen) 202-225-3265 WASHINGTON - Yesterday, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and th… Continue Reading
Scott, Warren, Colleagues Call for EEOC Action to Protect Employees’ Family Health Information
02.11.16 Members ask for changes to ensure employer-sponsored wellness programs fully comply with the GINA Full text of the letter is available here WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce; United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.); and six colleagues sent a bicameral letter to the U.S. E… Continue Reading
Scott Applauds President Obama’s Nomination of John King for U.S. Secretary of Education
02.11.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Obama announced his intent to nominate Dr. John B. King, Jr. to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education. King currently serves as Acting Secretary of Education. "I am very pleased that the President has nominated Dr. King to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education. Dr. King has spent his career dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for historically underserved students. As a tea… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Urge National Attention to Increase Teacher Diversity
02.10.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Representative Susan Davis (CA-53), Member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, and Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, Representative Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Representative Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training and Mark Takano (CA-41), Member of Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on President Obama’s 2017 Budget Proposal
02.09.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement today in response to President Barack Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year 2017: "President Obama's FY 2017 budget makes the necessary investments that will continue our economic recovery by ensuring all of America's students, families and workers share in the gains we have made over the last seven years. "Building on the success of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the President's budget includ… Continue Reading