Press Releases
Ranking Member Scott Statement at Hearing with DOL Acting Secretary Su
05.01.24 WASHINGTON -Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee hearing, “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor” with Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “Acting Secretary Su, good morning. “I think it is important to note that your service as acting Secretary has been verified as constitutionally proper by the Government Accountability Office. So, there is no question as to whether or not you are serv… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Releases New Report on the Ineffectiveness of Current Labor Penalties
04.30.24 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released a new report—"A Slap on the Wrist: How It Pays for Unscrupulous Employers to Take Advantage of Workers.” The report outlines how children, workers, and families suffer when civil monetary penalties for labor and employment violations are too weak or nonexistent to prevent dishonest employers from violating the rights and protections guaranteed to America's workers. Penalties for killing a worker, illegally employin… Continue Reading
Committee Health Leaders Applaud Biden Administration for Rescinding Trump-Era Rule that Undermined the Affordable Care Act
04.29.24 WASHINGTON - 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) released the following statement after the Biden Administration issued a final rule that reverses a Trump-era rule aimed at sabotaging the Affordable Care Act by making it harder for workers and families to get affordable, high-quality health insurance. “We applaud the Biden Administration for rescindi… Continue Reading
Reps. Scott, Huffman, Raskin Applaud Biden’s Faith-Based Regulations and Champion Religious Liberty
04.24.24 WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Jared Huffman (CA-02), and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) led their colleagues in applauding the Biden administration for rescinding Donald Trump’s discriminatory faith-based regulations and finalizing updated regulations to protect religious freedoms and other civil rights for all people participating in federally funded social services. “When the government funds social service programs, it must protect religious freedom and make… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration Rule to Provide Healthier Meals for Children
04.24.24 WASHINGTON- Ranking Member Scott issued the following statement after the Biden Administration released a final rule to improve nutrition standards for child nutrition programs and align them with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). “Students should be served healthy meals at schools based on nutritional science and expert guidance, not based on political considerations or special interests. This is particularly important considering that school meals are the most substantial me… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds President Biden for Strengthening Overtime Pay Protections for Workers
04.23.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule that would raise the salary threshold for salaried workers to automatically qualify for overtime compensation. According to the Department of Labor, the rule would guarantee overtime pay for most salaried workers earning less than $58,656 per year, extending overtime protections for roughly an additional 4 million Americans. “Workers deserve fai… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration’s Action to Protect Americans’ Retirement Savings
04.23.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Scott issued the following statement after the Biden administration released a final rule to close loopholes and prevent unscrupulous financial advisers from ripping off their retirement clients. “Every hardworking American deserves access to a secure and dignified retirement. Unfortunately, workers today are left wondering whether the retirement investment advice they receive is in their best interest or the financial interest of their advisers. While most advisers… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Requests Hearing on the State of School Segregation
04.22.24 WASHINGTON - One month ahead of the 70th anniversary year of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) urged Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) to hold a hearing to examine the state of school segregation. Seven decades after the Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, we have yet to fulfill the promise of equity in education. According to a 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, high poverty schools where… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Final Title IX Regulations
04.19.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education released the final Title IX regulations. “The Education Department’s final Title IX regulations mark a monumental step in our fight to address sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination in K-12 and higher education—all while preserving the rights of the accused. By expanding the critical protections under this law, the new regulations would help ensure that all stu… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Delivers Opening Statement at Committee Hearing on Antisemitism at Columbia University
04.17.24 WASHINGTON -Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing on antisemitism on the campus of Columbia University. “Thank you, Dr. Foxx. And thank you to our witnesses for appearing today. “I would like to start my opening remarks with a video from 2017 to remind everyone of what happened on the University of Virginia’s campus during a “Unite the Right” rally. As a warning, this video may co… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden for Protecting Miners from Exposure to Hazardous Silica Dust
04.16.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule to strengthen protections for miners against respirable crystalline silica. “Experts have repeatedly stressed that, when inhaled, silica dust can cause a range of serious diseases, including lung cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease, and silicosis. The Biden Administration’s final rule takes an important st… Continue Reading
Reps. Scott, Grijalva, & Chu Urge Speaker Johnson to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat
04.16.24 WASHINGTON - In response to the recent news that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law an inhumane measure banning local governments from requiring employers to institute basic heat protections to protect workers, Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07), and Judy Chu (CA-28) issued the following statement: “Americans across the country are grappling with some of the hottest temperatures on record. Yet workers in this country still have no legal protecti… Continue Reading
Congressman Kim Secures $279 Million to Protect 10,252 Service Industry Workers’ Retirement Benefits
04.16.24 MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) announced that the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 152 Retail Meat Pension Plan (UFCW Local 152 Plan), based in Mount Laurel, will receive $279.3 million from the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program to pay participant’s retirement benefits without reduction for many years to come. Congressman Kim helped create the SFA Program through the American Rescue Plan in 2021. “Across any industry, American workers deserve to … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Wilson Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee Hearing Examining FAFSA Implementation Delays
04.10.24 WASHINGTON -Ranking Member Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee hearing, entitled, “FAFSA Fail: Examining the Impact on Students, Families, and Schools.” “Thank you so much, Chairman Owens, and thank you to the witnesses for coming today. “We know that a college degree is the surest pathway to economic mobility in America. “Unfortunately, for many low-income students, particularly those at HB… Continue Reading
House Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Support Missing and Exploited Children
04.09.24 WASHINGTON - Today, the House passed S.2051, the Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023. The House companion bill, H.R. 5224, was authored by Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chairman Aaron Bean (R-FL) and Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT), a senior member of the Committee. This bipartisan legislation renews the Missing Children’s Assistance Act(MCAA) and makes critical updates to help the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Urges Colleagues to Vote in Favor of Transformative Bill to Update Federal Workforce Development Programs
04.09.24 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby Scott” delivered the following floor remarks in support of H.R. 6655, the bipartisan A Stronger Workforce for America Act. Watch Ranking Member Scott’s floor remarks on YouTube. “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. “Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act. “Workers who are looking for higher-paying careers and businesses looking for skilled workers should be abl… Continue Reading
New Government Watchdog Report Raises Concerns About Lack of Faculty Diversity
04.09.24 WASHINGTON—Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Ranking Member Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) released a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) titled “Higher Education: Employment Discrimination Case Referrals between Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Could Be Improved.” The GAO found that while overall faculty diversity has increased in recent years, it is still not representa… Continue Reading
What People Are Saying: A Stronger Workforce for America Act
04.09.24 WASHINGTON - Today, the House will consider A Stronger Workforce for America Act (H.R. 6655), which makes critical updates to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to strengthen connections between employers and the workforce system, and put more Americans on the pathway to a successful career. Advocates and experts support provisions in this legislation that expand opportunities for workers who are looking to access good-paying jobs and employers seeking to fill jobs with skilled… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Applauds USDA for Expanding Access to Healthy Foods for WIC Participants
04.09.24 WASHINGTON - Today, on the 50th anniversary year of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Agriculture released the final rule that would better align WIC food packages, address disparities, and increase access to healthy foods. “The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is vital for the healthy devel… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on President Biden’s Plan to Deliver Debt Relief to Over 30 Million Student Borrowers
04.08.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration unveiled initial details of a new set of plans that would provide student debt relief for tens of millions of borrowers across the country. The plans, if implemented, would provide debt relief to over 30 million Americans when combined with actions the Biden-Harris Administration has already taken to cancel student debt over the past three years. “Today’s announceme… Continue Reading