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Congressman Bobby Scott

Representing the 3rd District of Virginia

Economy and Jobs

We all know that the current economic climate has taken a toll on many families across the nation and that the economy has been slow to recover from the deep recession. Congressman Scott believes the best long-term way we can create jobs and get people back to work is investing in education and training, beginning with early education and continuing through college or vocational education, as well as adult education and training.  A well-educated workforce is more important today than ever before. With the rapid development of this global marketplace, the United States is no longer the single dominant country in the world and American's competitive advantage is a well educated workforce.

Large and targeted investments in workforce development are long overdue and it is time that they are addressed in Washington. Congress recently seized upon the opportunity to do this through reuathoization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which expired in 2003. WIA is the main federal legislation that coordinates federal workforce development programs. Congressman Scott supported the reauthorization of WIA through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which included an enhanced definition of “individuals with barriers to employment” that explicitly includes older workers over the age of 55 as well the long-term unemployed.  This explicit inclusion means that state and local workforce plans must include goals and strategies for serving these and other disenfranchised groups.  Additionally, the new law requires that 75% of youth funding in the bill support out-of-school youth.  When kids drop out of school they are much more likely to get into trouble and commit crimes.  And once a juvenile falls off of the right track, he or she will face a range of problems and taxpayers will be on the hook for the cost of incarcerating these individuals.   By investing in out-of-school youth, Congressman Scott believes that we are investing money on the front end so we don't end up footing the bill later on.  

Many believe that during these tough fiscal times we cannot afford to invest in job creation. But Congressman Scott believes that the choice is clear - we must invest in education and job training so that we have a strong workforce and strong nation for future generations. We can choose to put funding towards direct job creation programs, such as transportation and infrastructure projects. This will help accelerate our recovery, putting millions back to work, and gradually return our budget to balance over the next decade, all without jeopardizing Social Security or Medicare or other important social safety net programs. 

More on Economy and Jobs

Scott Statement on December Jobs Report

January 6, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added a total of 156,000 jobs in December, with the unemployment rate at 4.7 percent. “When President Obama took office eight years ago, 3.6 million jobs had already been lost due to the recession. Today’s December 2016 jobs report demonstrates that our economy is undoubtedly stronger, and since early 2010, the economy has added a total of 15.8 million private sector jobs. This progress is largely due to the actions taken by the Obama Administration to bring our economy out of recession. I commend the Obama Administration for all it has done to level the playing field for our nation’s working people and those struggling to find work.

Scott Statement on No Vote on FY 2017 Continuing Resolution

December 8, 2016 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on his No vote on H.R. 2028, the Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017: “I am disappointed that House and Senate Republicans could not advance a more responsible bill to fund the federal government. Continuing Resolutions are inherently bad policy and hinder the work of the federal government. Considering the uncertainty that surrounds the incoming administration, I think it is more responsible for this Congress to enact a yearlong omnibus appropriations bill for the remainder of fiscal year 2017.

Scott Floor Statement in Support of Final National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017

December 2, 2016 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017. Congressman Scott, as Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, was appointed to the conference committee in July and successfully advocated for the removal of several harmful workplace provisions that were eliminated from the final bill text. “Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. “I have the honor of representing Hampton Roads, Virginia, the heart of our nation’s shipbuilding industrial base. So I want to underscore my support for the shipbuilding and ship maintenance provisions in the bill, including the language urging the Secretary of the Navy to speed up the procurement schedule for aircraft carriers to ensure that our carrier fleet is not again reduced to 10 carriers. These provisions will not only significantly benefit my region, but will be critical to our nation’s security.

Scott, Forbes, Wittman & Rigell Applaud Award of Contract for New Lab at NASA Langley

December 2, 2016 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03), Randy Forbes (VA-04), Rob Wittman (VA-01) and Scott Rigell (VA-02) issued the following joint statement applauding today’s announcement by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) that it has awarded a $95.6 million contract to W.M. Jordan Co. of Newport News to construct the Measurement Systems Laboratory (MSL) at NASA Langley Research Center: “Today’s announcement by the General Services Administration is great news for NASA Langley and science research in Hampton Roads,” said Rep.Scott. “This project, part of NASA Langley’s 20-year revitalization plan, will expand NASA Langley’s research capabilities while saving millions of dollars in annual maintenance. As NASA Langley celebrates its 100th Anniversary next year, we look forward to continuing to work with NASA, the Virginia aerospace community, and our colleagues in Congress to ensure that NASA Langley is able to continue to implement its 20-year plan and remains an integral part of accomplishing NASA’s missions.”

MIDNIGHT RULES RELIEF ACT OF 2016

November 17, 2016 Floor Statements
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 5982, the so-called Midnight Rules Relief Act, which amends the Congressional Review Act. This bill would allow Congress to consider a joint resolution to simultaneously disapprove multiple regulations en bloc, all at once, when such rules are issued within the last 60 legislative days of a session of Congress in the final year of a President's term. Now, that is legislative days. In this case, 60 legislative days would reach back until May of this year, almost 8 months before the end of the President's term. To call the rules issued last spring a midnight rule is a curious use of the word.

Scott Statement on October Jobs Report

November 4, 2016 Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added a total of 161,000 jobs in October, with the unemployment rate falling to 4.9 percent. “The October jobs report shows that our economy added 161,000 jobs. The longest streak of total job growth on record continued and U.S. businesses have now added 15.5 million jobs since early 2010. Just last week, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the economy grew at an annual rate of 2.9 percent in the third quarter of 2016, with strong export growth and continued strength in consumer spending. While we celebrate this progress, we also remain committed to making meaningful investments in our nation’s families and in our economy to ensure that our growing prosperity is broadly shared.

Scott Statement on Defense Think Tank Report Recommending Cancelling Certain Defense Programs

October 24, 2016 Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the recommendations of the Center for a New American Security that the President and Congress should cancel the Ford-class aircraft carrier program and other programs at the Department of Defense: “Our national security depends on a modern and technologically advanced military. While there have been issues related to the construction of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy and its primary shipbuilder for the Ford-class have already taken steps to reduce costs and address these issues for the next two aircraft carriers. Cancelling the Ford-class program would have severe consequences for national security and harm efforts to replenish and replace the fleet in the coming decades.

Scott to Visit Buchanan Mine and Host Roundtable with Miners

October 11, 2016 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, October 14, 2016, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce will join officials from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to tour the Buchanan Mine #1 in Buchanan County, Virginia. On Saturday, October 15, 2016, Congressman Scott will also host a roundtable to discuss reforms to the black lung benefits program with miners, medical professionals and legal representatives in Wise, Virginia. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Scott serves as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, which has oversight of federal worker health and safety programs, including mine safety, the Black Lung Benefits Act, and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, as well as pensions and employer-provided health care. Congressman Scott has sponsored the Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act (H.R. 1926), which would provide the Mine Safety and Health Administration with tools it needs to better protect miners, including subpoena authority to conduct investigations and inspections. He is also the lead cosponsor of the Black Lung Benefits Improvements Act (H.R. 3625), which would ensure coal companies and their lawyers share all medical evidence with claimants and provide additional legal resources to miners with eligible claims. Congressman Scott is also a cosponsor of the Coal Healthcare and Pensions Protection Act (H.R. 2403), a bipartisan bill that would transfer excess funds from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to cover shortfalls in the UMWA health care and coal miner pension funds.

Scott Statement on September Jobs Report

October 7, 2016 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added a total of 156,000 jobs in September with the unemployment rate at 5 percent. The economy has added a total of 15.3 million private sector jobs since early 2010. “While we have experienced great economic gains over the last seven years, today’s jobs report shows that our work here in Congress is far from over. There are families and individuals struggling to find work, and those who are working still lack basic workplace support and protections.

REGULATORY RELIEF FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, AND NONPROFITS ACT

September 28, 2016 Floor Statements
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I stand in opposition to H.R. 6094, the inappropriately named Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act. First of all, it is not limited to those. It is for all employers. It would delay the implementation of the overtime rule for 6 months. The rule is currently slated to go into effect on December 1, and working families can't wait another 6 months for a long-overdue adjustment in the overtime rule. We ought to talk a little bit about what we are talking about. If today you are earning $10 an hour, if you work more than 40 hours a week, you get time-and-a-half for every hour worked over 40. And if they change that to the same amount, instead of $10 an hour, $20,000 a year, you still get time-and-a-half for overtime after 40 hours because your salary is under the approximately $23,000 threshold.