Press Releases
Scott, Kline Applaud House Passage of Every Student Succeeds Act
12.02.15 Bipartisan bill replaces No Child Left Behind, Improves K-12 Education WASHINGTON - House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott and Chairman John Kline (R-MN) issued the following statements today after the House passed a bipartisan, bicameral bill to replace No Child Left Behind and improve K-12 education. Known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (S. 1177), the bill passed the House by a vote of 359 to 64. "Today's bipartisan vote to reauthorize the ESEA … Continue Reading
House, Senate Education Committees Release Final Proposal to Replace NCLB
11.30.15 WASHINGTON - Today bipartisan leaders on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions released the final legislative text for improving K-12 education and replacing No Child Left Behind. The final bill is being released after legislative proposals passed separately by the House and Senate in July and embodies the reforms agreed to by members serving on a joint conference committee earlier this month. The House-Senate confer… Continue Reading
House-Senate Conference Committee Approves Framework to Improve K-12 Education
11.19.15 WASHINGTON - Today, the House-Senate conference committee reached agreement on a proposal to improve K-12 education and replace No Child Left Behind. The agreement represents a compromise between the House-passed Student Success Act (H.R. 5) and the Senate-passed Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 (S. 1177). "No Child Left Behind has been failing students, parents, teachers, and state and local education leaders for far too long, and today we took an important step in replacing this flawed law,… Continue Reading
ADVISORY: House-Senate Joint Conference Committee on K-12 Education to Hold First Public Meeting
11.18.15 WASHINGTON - TODAY, November 18, 2015, at 2:30 p.m., a House and Senate conference committee to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act will hold its first meeting in HVC-201 of the Capitol Visitor Center. At the first meeting, members of the conference committee are expected to deliver opening statements. WHAT: Meeting of a House-Senate joint conference committee on K-12 education WHEN: Wednesday, November 18, at 2:30 p.m. WHERE: HVC-201 of the Capitol Visitor Center … Continue Reading
ADVISORY: K-12 Education Joint Conference Committee to Reconvene, Consider Amendments
11.18.15 WASHINGTON - TOMORROW, November 19, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., the House and Senate conference committee to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act will hold a second meeting in HVC-201 of the Capitol Visitor Center. At the conference committee’s next meeting, members are expected to consider amendments to the House-Senate proposed framework. WHAT: House-Senate joint conference committee on K-12 education to reconvene WHEN: Thursday, November 19, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. WHERE: HVC-2… Continue Reading
Scott: Conference Framework “Lives up to the Promises of Brown and the Intent of the Original ESEA”
11.18.15 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) delivered remarks at a joint House and Senate conference committee meeting to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. At today's conference committee meeting, Ranking Member Scott emphasized the need to advance student-centered policy solutions that both fulfill the ESEA's civil rights legacy and move public education forward. Remarks by Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott: 2:30 P.M. EST Mr. Chairman, I would lik… Continue Reading
Pelosi Names Conferees to Elementary and Secondary Elementary School Act Bill Conference
11.17.15 WASHINGTON - Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today named seven House Democratic Members to serve on a conference committee to complete a final ESEA agreement. "Fifty years ago, we enacted into law the landmark Elementary and Secondary Education Act because, as Americans, we recognized that education is the single most important investment a nation can make in its future and a family can make in its children," Leader Pelosi said. "Nothing returns more money to the Treasury than investments in … Continue Reading
Workers’ Rights Stripped at Indian-run Casinos and Other Tribal Enterprises by Anti-Labor Bill
11.17.15 WASHINGTON - Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 511, the “Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2015,” by a vote of 249 to 117. This legislation would strip hundreds of thousands of workers employed at Indian-owned tribal enterprises—such as casinos, hotels and mines—of their voice in the workplace and the protections under the National Labor Relations Act. Although tribal casinos employ upwards of 600,000 people, approximately 75 percent of the employees are non-Indians. In a Statem… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on ACA Challenge Reaching the Supreme Court under the Guise of Religious Freedom
11.06.15 WASHINGTON - Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement today after the Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear arguments in seven consolidated cases. The cases question whether the contraceptive accommodation for some religiously affiliated organizations who wish to avail themselves of the preventive services mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on the 50th Anniversary of the Higher Education Act
11.06.15 WASHINGTON - Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement today celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Higher Education Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on November 8, 1965: "Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Higher Education Act (HEA) into law. HEA was a key component of the 'Great Society', and its goal was and is to provide a pathway to the midd… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on October Jobs Report
11.06.15 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 October, 271,000 jobs were added to the economy while the unemployment rate fell to 5.0 percent. This marks the 68th consecutive month of private sector job growth: “Today’s jobs report shows that the unemployment rate fell to 5.0 percent, continuing the longest streak on record. Despite this great gain, families across th… Continue Reading
Cummings, Issa, Scott Build Bipartisan Momentum for Fair Chance Act
11.05.15 WASHINGTON—Today, Reps. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Darrell Issa (R-CA) hosted a bipartisan briefing on fair chance hiring policies, including the Fair Chance Act, legislation they introduced to require the federal government and its contractors to wait to ask about the criminal histories of job applicants until they receive conditional offers of employment. Cummings and Issa were joined by Reps. Bobby Scott, Ranking Member… Continue Reading
Chu, Scott Introduce Bill to Protect Immigrant Workers
11.05.15 WASHINGTON - Today, Reps. Judy Chu (CA-27) and Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, introduced the Protecting Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation (POWER) Act. This legislation will provide U Visa eligibility for immigrant workers who report unsafe or unfair labor practices. The bill will also strengthen labor agencies’ investigative powers and allow a stay of removal and work authorization for workers who file a workplace claim. These … Continue Reading
Scott, Hinojosa Lead Democrats in Filing Fisher II Brief
11.03.15 85 Members of Congress signed onto brief in support of the University of Texas at Austin’s affirmative action program WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) - along with Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) - led a group of Democratic lawmakers in filing an amicus brief in the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, No. 14-981 (Fisher II) U.S. Supreme Court case examining whether state educators can consider race and ethnicity among the many factors in admissions to institutions of highe… Continue Reading
House Democrats Introduce Working Families Resolution
10.29.15 WASHINGTON - In honor of hardworking families across the nation, today, 108 House Democrats introduced H. Res. 506, the Working Families Resolution. This resolution calls on Congress to take up the responsible policy solutions working families need to make a better life for themselves and their families. Earlier this week, in commemoration of National Work and Family Month, Members came together for a Working Families Day of Action to highlight the many ways Congress can continue to support our … Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Reject Republican Bill That Undermines Workers’ Rights to Bargain with Joint Employers
10.28.15 Democrats Offer Solutions to Strengthen the National Labor Relations Act, Boost Wages, Level the Playing Field WASHINGTON - At an Education and the Workforce Committee markup today, the Majority reported legislation that would weaken collective bargaining efforts and suppress wages for workers employed by joint employers. Committee Democrats, however, offered a series of alternatives that would strengthen working families by boosting wages, helping workers better balance work and family lif… Continue Reading
Leading Democrats Commend Department of Education on Rule Protecting Students, Taxpayers from Abusive Financial Practices
10.28.15 WASHINGTON - Following the release of a new Department of Education rule, Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) joined Committee on Financial Services Ranking Member Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) in expressing their support for critical protections that would put an end to financial companies steering college students to abusive, predatory financial products. In 2009, President Obama signed the CARD Act into law, banning the m… Continue Reading
Democrats Urge Congress to Strengthen Safety and Health Protections for Miners at Oversight Hearing
10.21.15 Issue a Call to Level the Playing Field for Coal Miner Claims under the Black Lung Benefits Act WASHINGTON - Today, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing entitled "Protecting America's Workers: Reviewing Mine Safety Policies with Stakeholders." Subcommittee Democrats called for strengthening health and safety protections for miners to help prevent black lung disease, providing the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) with additional tools to enforce safety standard… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray, Sanders Urge Stronger Oversight of State Workers’ Compensation Programs
10.21.15 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), wrote a letter to Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez urging him to strengthen oversight of state workers' compensation programs. In the letter, the members of Congress noted that state workers' compensation laws have eroded and are no longer providing adequate levels of support and compensation for those who are injured on the job, leaving workers to turn to… Continue Reading
Committee Hears from Judge, Advocates on Need to Update Juvenile Justice Law
10.08.15 WASHINGTON - Today, the full Committee on Education and the Workforce held a legislative hearing on “Reviewing the Juvenile Justice System and How It Serves At-Risk Youth.” Committee Members came together in a bipartisan way to address the need to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) of 1974, which has not been reauthorized by Congress in over a decade. “In the 13 years since we last reauthorized the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, there ha… Continue Reading