Press Releases
Scott, Murray, Franken, Wilson, and Courtney Commend OSHA for Efforts to Address Workplace Violence against Healthcare Workers
01.10.17 WASHINGTON - U.S. Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN), U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24), and U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) issued the following statement after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced new actions to prevent violence against healthcare workers. These actions follow the findings of an April 2016 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report examining the prevalence of workpla… Continue Reading
Scott Applauds Final Rule to Protect Workers from Beryllium Exposure
01.06.17 WASHINGTON - Today, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the final rule updating the levels of permissible beryllium exposure to workers. The nearly 70-year-old old standard for workers exposed to beryllium has failed to protect workers from contracting chronic beryllium disease and cancer. "OSHA's beryllium rule, which took 18 years to develop, reduces permissible exposure levels by 90 percent, and is estimated to prevent 900 premature deaths due to the ravages of ch… Continue Reading
Scott, Bonamici Statement on New Report Showing How Student Loan Servicing Problems Can Jeopardize Long-Term Financial Security for Older Americans
01.06.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) issued the following statement after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report that examines complaints from older student loan borrowers about servicing practices that can jeopardize their long-term financial security: "Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a new study about older borrowers who have student loan debt. Troublingly, the report exposed tha… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on December Jobs Report
01.06.17 WASHINGTON - 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 milli… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Lead Democratic Amicus Brief Supporting DOL’s Overtime Rule
12.22.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), filed a bicameral amicus brief in support of the Department of Labor's (DOL) appeal of a Texas district court's order enjoining the overtime rule. "As members of Congress working to ensure that workers are provided fair wages, amici have a strong interest in the proper … Continue Reading
Scott, Casey Want Answers on PMF Cases Among Current, Former Coal Miners
12.21.16 Washington - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member on the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families, formally requested the amount of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) cases in active and former coal miners over the past five years from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the Department of Hea… Continue Reading
Democrats Push Trump to Extend Overtime Pay to Millions of Americans
12.20.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, led a group of 16 Congressional Democrats in sending a bicameral letter to President-elect Donald Trump urging the incoming Administration to act to implement the Department of Labor (DOL)'s overtime rule which would ensure workers who earn less than $47,476 are eligible to get paid time-and-a-half for the extra hours they work. "D… Continue Reading
Scott Statement in Support of Enhanced Federal Aid Participation Requirements for ACICS-accredited Colleges
12.12.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Bobby Scott issued the following statement today after the Education Secretary John B. King, Jr. affirmed the decision made by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) to terminate the recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS): "I applaud Secretary King's decision to affirm the termination of ACICS' recognition as an accreditor. In our higher education system, accreditors are a vi… Continue Reading
Murray, Scott Applaud Final Rule to Address Widespread Inequality in Special Education for Students of Color with Disabilities
12.12.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statements applauding the Department of Education's final rule to address widespread disparities in special education and disciplinary action faced by students of color with disabilities. The final rule, also known as the "disproportio… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Reported Nomination of Fast Food CEO Andrew Puzder as Labor Secretary
12.08.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after it was reported that President-elect Donald Trump intends to nominate Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, to lead the U.S. Department of Labor. "President-elect Trump's nomination of Andrew Puzder for Labor Secretary should signal concern for workers and employers who support fair pay, worker protections and equal opportunity on the job. As the CEO of CKE Restaurants, Mr. Puzder has opposed raising the … Continue Reading
Scott Commends Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for Diligent Work to Eliminate Discriminatory Barriers
12.08.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued its annual report for FY 2016, and a summary of their work to advance educational equity from 2009-2016: "The Office for Civil Rights reports released today shows much progress has been made during the Obama Administration to expand educational opportunity across the nation for all students. However, challenges do remain. The Department of Education's… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Consequences of GOP’s Partial Repeal Plan for the Affordable Care Act
12.07.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) released the following statement on the Urban Institute's new report detailing the impact of Republicans' plan to partially repeal the Affordable Care Act: "The Urban Institute's report shows that plans to repeal large parts of the ACA through a special budget procedure - without any viable or serious alternative - could result in drastic consequences for millions of people. According to this report, a partial repeal with no replacement would le… Continue Reading
Scott, Levin, Pallone Statement on Court Order to Delay House v. Burwell
12.06.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Members Bobby Scott (D-VA), Sandy Levin (D-MI), and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) of the House Committees on Education and the Workforce, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce respectively, made the following joint statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued an order to delay the consideration of House v. Burwell: "This decision to delay the consideration of House v. Burwell until after Inauguration Day puts millions of Americans at risk of l… Continue Reading
Scott Re-Elected as Ranking Member of Education & Workforce Committee
12.06.16 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after he was elected by the Democratic Caucus to serve as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce in the 115th Congress. "I am honored to have the confidence and support of my colleagues to continue to serve as Ranking Member in the 115th Congress. I look forward to fighting for students, working families and retirees across the country and defending them against attacks on their access to a… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on New Chair of Education & Workforce Committee
12.02.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) issued the following statement after Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) was selected by the Republican conference to serve as the Chair of the Committee on Education and the Workforce in the 115th Congress: "I congratulate Congresswoman Foxx on her selection to serve as the new Chair of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. I look forward to working with her to find common ground on policies that will expand educational opportunities for al… Continue Reading
Scott Floor Statement on Support for Final National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017
12.02.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017. Ranking Member Scott 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 rep… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on November 2016 Jobs Report
12.02.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added a total of 178,000 jobs in November, with the unemployment rate at 4.6 percent. "The November jobs report shows that our economy added 178,000 jobs, and continues to move forward from the worst economic crisis in a generation. There is no doubt we have made great strides the last eight years, but our commitment to creating a more balanced and fai… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Nomination of Chairman Tom Price for HHS Secretary
11.29.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) released the following statement after it was reported that Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price will be nominated for U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services: "I congratulate my colleague Tom Price on his nomination to serve as our nation's next Secretary of Health and Human Services. This position has been, and must continue to be, one that enhances and protects the health of all Americans, especially the most vulnerable among us. "As Chairm… Continue Reading
Scott, Bonamici Lead Efforts to Protect Student Loan Borrowers, Reduce Default Rates
11.28.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Representative Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and other Committee Democrats sent a letter to the Department of Education urging it to protect struggling student loan borrowers from defaulting on their debt by improving access to income-driven repayment plans. The letter encourages the Department to simplify the transition from loan rehabilitation to affordable repayment plans … Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Statement on Education Department’s Final Rule to Enhance Equity, Excellence in Schools
11.28.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Education's final regulation on the accountability provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). "While we are disappointed that this final rule doesn't go as far as we would have hoped, we co… Continue Reading