Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Worker Safety and Health
Ranking Member Omar Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on Mine Safety and Health Administration
01.22.26 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Mine Safety and Health Administration.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, everyone. Thank you so much, Assistant Secretary Palmer, for being here today. “Since its inception in 1977, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, or MSHA, has strived to protect America’s miners from occupational … Continue Reading
Committee Republicans Vote to Limit Students’ Access to Reproductive Health Care
01.08.26 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee Republicans voted to limit pregnant students’ access to information on all resources available to them as they pursue their education. “Women should be able to control these decisions. By shielding students from health care information, resources, and rights that are available to them, Republicans are denying them the choice to decide what is best for them and their families,” said Ranking Member Scott. The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act (H.R. 6359) directs college… Continue Reading
Scott, McGarvey Introduce Legislation to Improve Black Lung Benefits Program
12.16.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Representative Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-03), reintroduced the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act, legislation that would help miners who have suffered from black lung disease access the workers’ compensation and benefits they are entitled to receive under the federal Black Lung Benefits Program. This legislation significantly reduces barriers, such as complex claims processes and l… Continue Reading
House Labor Leaders Introduce Bill to Protect Workers and Level the Playing Field
12.10.25 WASHINGTON - Today, House labor leaders will introduce the Labor Enforcement to Securely (LET’S) Protect Workers Act, H.R. 6597. The LET’S Protect Workers Act is a transformative bill that will protect America’s workers and crack down on dishonest employers and corporations by raising penalties for violations of workers’ rights and protections. The bill introduction is accompanied by a damning report entitled, “A Slap on the Wrist: How it Pays for Dishonest Employers to Take Advantage of Worker… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Omar Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on Revitalizing American Boxing
12.04.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) delivered the following opening statement at a Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing entitled, “In Their Corner: Creating More Opportunities for American Boxers.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for your testimony today. “When Republicans first notified us of today’s hearing, I was immediately excited. I have long been a fan of professional boxing and mixed martial arts, and I was hopeful that we could have a bi… Continue Reading
Labor Leaders Demand Coal Operators Pay Their Fair Share
12.01.25 WASHINGTON — Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), House Committee on Education and Workforce and Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (D-MN), House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, urged the Department of Labor (DOL) to enforce the Black Lung Self-Insurance Rule, which requires coal operators to contribute their fair share to the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund (BLDTF). Under federal law, coal mine operators are required to provide cash assistance and medical care for miners they employ w… Continue Reading
Committee Republicans Vote to Put Corporate Interests over Working Families
09.17.25 WASHINGTON - Today, Committee Republicans voted to advance a series of bills that would undermine worker protections in favor of large corporations and put workers at a disadvantage when seeking justice. “The most recent data on inflation, unemployment, and jobs show that Americans are struggling as a result of this Administration’s reckless policies and priorities. As such, I would have hoped the Majority would try to advance common-sense, evidence-based initiatives to improve workers’ lives a… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Opening Remarks at Markup of Anti-Worker Bills
09.17.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee markup of H.R. 1723, H.R. 2958, H.R. 2869, H.R. 2844, H.R. 3495, and H.R.5169. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. “The most recent data on inflation, unemployment, and jobs show that Americans are struggling as a result of this Administration’s reckless policies and priorities. As such, I would have hoped the Majority would try to advance common-sense, evidence-based initiativ… Continue Reading
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
Vice Ranking Member Casar Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on Worker Misclassification
05.20.25 WASHINGTON - Vice Ranking Member Greg Casar (TX-35) delivered the following opening statement at a Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Empowering the Modern Worker.” “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. “The nation’s labor laws establish basic worker protections, like a decent wage, reasonable hours, a safe workplace, the right to organize, and the right to collectively bargain, the right to overtime. “But ever since workers won thes… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on RFK Jr. Decision to Rehire Only A Few Wrongfully Terminated NIOSH Employees
05.13.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, issued the following statement in response to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reinstating some but not all of the wrongfully terminated National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) civil servants. “I am encouraged to see Secretary Kennedy begin to reverse course on his decision to fire hundreds of civil servants at the National Institute for Occupa… Continue Reading
On Workers’ Memorial Day, Reps. Scott, Courtney Lead Bill to Improve Workplace Safety
04.28.25 WASHINGTON - Today, on Workers’ Memorial Day, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02), a senior member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce reintroduced the Protecting America’s Workers Act as the Trump Administration dismantles workplace protections. This bill would meaningfully strengthen and modernize the Occupation Safety and Health Act (OSH-Act) for the first time in over 50 years by ensuring employers promptly correct hazardous working … 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
Rep. Courtney Leads Bipartisan Lawmakers in Curbing Violence Against Health Care and Social Service Workers
04.01.25 WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), a senior member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), a senior member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, re-introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to curb the rising rates of workplace violence facing health care and social service workers, including nurses, emergency responders, medical assistants, physicians, and social workers. Health care and social … Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on February Jobs Report
03.07.25 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 151,000 jobs in February, and the unemployment rate rose from 4.0 percent to 4.1 percent. During President Biden's first month in office, the economy created 509,000 jobs in February 2021. Over the course of President Biden's term, seasonally adjusted job creation averaged 337,000. Under President Biden, the economy added 16.2 million … 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