Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Workforce Protections Subcommittee
What They’re Saying About Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury and Fatality Prevention Act
07.16.25 WASHINGTON - As temperatures around the world hit record highs, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, House Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with a bipartisan, bicameral group of members, introduced legislation to ensure the safety and health of workers who are exposed to dangerous heat conditions in the workplace. Here is what leading advocates and experts are saying about the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act: UFW President Teresa Romero: “Ev… Continue Reading
Congressional Democrats Join Union Workers to Announce Legislation to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat
07.16.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, Representative Judy Chu (D-CA.-28), and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) joined union workers from the United Farm Workers (UFW), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and United Steelworkers to announce their bipartisan, bicameral legislation to implement federal enforceable workplace heat stress protections. Co-leads of the legislation include Representative Alm… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Omar Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on the Future of Workplace Safety
07.16.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) delivered the following opening statement at a Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Safe Workplaces, Stronger Partnerships: The Future of OSHA Compliance Assistance.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. “Over the last six months, the Trump Administration has embarked on an aggressive assault on worker protections. And just in the past two weeks, Trump’s Department of Labor has released fi… Continue Reading
On World Day Against Child Labor, Labor Leaders Introduce Bold Legislation to End Abusive Child Labor
06.12.25 WASHINGTON - Today, on World Day against Child Labor, Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Workforce Protections (WP) Subcommittee Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) announced their plans to introduce new legislation—the Protecting Children Act—to finally end child labor in America. The bill provides federal worker protections agencies with the tools and resources they need to deter violations and prevent harm to children from intensive work in dang… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Delivers Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing with DOL Secretary Chavez-DeRemer
06.05.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks at today’s full committee hearing entitled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. “Madam Secretary, it is always good to see a former colleague welcome back to the committee you served on. It was good to talk to you early this week, and I understand you’ve been in touch with every member of the committee, Democrat and Republican, and that obvious… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Omar Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on Reforming Worker Compensation
05.06.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) delivered the following opening statement at Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing entitled, “FECA Reform and Oversight: Prioritizing Workers, Protecting Taxpayer Dollar.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, everyone, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. “The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, or FECA, is more than just a compensation statute—it is a solemn promise. A promise that if a federal worker is injured on th… Continue Reading
Congressional Democrats Fight Back Against Trump’s Attacks on Independent Worker Protection Agencies
04.10.25 WASHINGTON -House and Senate Democratic Leadership filed an amicus brief opposing President Donald Trump’s unlawful attempts to fire members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). The individuals cited in this matter were duly appointed, congressionally confirmed board members at independent federal agencies. Illegal attempts to terminate them threaten the integrity of these institutions and their ability to protect American workers and uphold… Continue Reading
Scott and Kaine to Introduce Bill to Protect Miners’ Safety
04.03.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) will introduce the Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2025. This bill coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Upper Big Branch (UBB) Mine Disaster, reflecting lessons learned from the deadly explosion on April 5, 2010, that killed 29 miners. The bill improves mine … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Omar Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on the Future of the Fair Labor Standards Act
03.25.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) delivered the following opening statement at Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing entitled, “The Future of Wage Laws: Assessing the FLSA’s Effectiveness, Challenges, and Opportunities.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, everyone, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. “Mr. Chairman, congratulations on your position— I look forward to working with you on this subcommittee. I hope you’ll indulge me for a moment. “It is a… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Opening Remarks at Full Committee Hearing on the American Workforce and Economy
02.26.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks at today’s full committee hearing entitled “Unleashing America’s Workforce and Strengthening Our Economy.” “Today’s full committee hearing— the first labor-related one of the 119th Congress— comes just as President Trump completed his first month in his second term. It’s important to be clear about the economy and labor market that President Trump and the Congressional Republicans inherited, as they are… Continue Reading
Labor Leaders Demand Information on Impact of NIOSH Cuts on Worker Safety
02.24.25 WASHINGTON - House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) are demanding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) share how the reductions in staffing and program funding at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will impact worker safety. “NIOSH plays a crucial role in ensuring the health and safety of American workers, and we must fully understand the … Continue Reading
Ranking Members Scott, Omar Demand Answers from Trump Administration on Destruction of Valuable Workplace Safety Documents, Putting Workers’ Lives at Risk
02.14.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05), House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections demanded accountability from the Trump Administration’s Department of Labor (DOL) amidst concerning reports that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has removed and potentially destroyed several key documents related to worker-safety. These documents may have been destroyed simply because … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Firing of EEOC Commissioners Burrows and Samuels
01.29.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after President Trump fired Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Commissioners Charlotte A. Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels. Project 2025, Chapter 18 details the Trump Administrations plans to weaken the EEOC. “The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an independent, bipartisan federal agency that protects millions of workers from illegal… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on President Trump Rescinding EO 11246
01.22.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after President Trump rescinded Executive Order (EO) 11246 of September 24, 1965 (Equal Employment Opportunity). “The Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP) ensures that taxpayer dollars do not fund companies that discriminate against workers and helps provide redress to those who do experience unlawful discrimination. In fact, over the past 10 year… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott and Colleagues Applaud OSHA’s Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Rule
01.15.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, along with Congressman Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-28), and Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35) led 52 House Members in submitting a comment letter applauding the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s proposed rule to protect workers from occupational exposure to extreme heat. “As Members of Congress, we have been calling on OSHA for years to implement a national standard to… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Votes “NO” on Extreme Republicans’ Anti-Worker, Anti-Union Resolution
01.12.24 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby Scott” delivered the following floor remarks in opposition to House Republicans’ H.J. Res. 98, an extreme resolution that would undermine workers’ ability to bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. The resolution would repeal the National Labor Relations Board’s 2023 joint employer rule, which ensures that companies cannot evade their responsibility to negotiate with workers by hiding behind subcontractors and … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Opening Statement at Markup of Anti-Choice Bill and Bill to Reinforce DOL Response to Human Trafficking
01.10.24 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee markup of H.R. 6914, the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, and H.R. 443, the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act. “Thank you, Madam Chair. Today, the Committee is marking up two bills. “The first bill we will consider is H.R. 6914, the so-called Pregnant Students’ Rights Act. “More than a year and a half ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which tri… Continue Reading
NEW: 118th Congress Democratic Committee Assignments
01.31.23 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and the Workforce appointed subcommittee ranking members, subcommittee member assignments, and a vice ranking member for the 118th Congress. This Congress, Committee Democrats include a diverse group of lawmakers, including educators, labor advocates, parents, business owners, and civil rights leaders. The Members’ experience and expertise will help guide Committee Democrats’ work to ensure that all students have access to a quality education, ex… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden Effort to Protect Workers and Families from Extreme Heat
09.20.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after President Biden announced an Administration-wide effort to protect workers and families from extreme heat. The effort includes the start of a new Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) rulemaking process to develop a workplace heat standard. "I applaud the Biden Administration for launching this critical effort to protect workers and their families from extreme heat. Excessive heat is one … Continue Reading
Scott, Davis Lead Bipartisan Group of House Members to Introduce Bill Protecting Older Workers from Age Discrimination
03.18.21 WASHINGTON - Today, Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03), chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, and Rodney Davis (IL-13) led a bipartisan group in introducing the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA), a proposal to strengthen anti-discrimination protections for older workers. They were joined by six Republicans and six Democrats, including Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee Chair Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chair … Continue Reading