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June 1, 2017
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement: “President Trump’s decision to remove the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement is a step in the wrong direction. By withdrawing from the agreement, the President is undermining the interests of countless communities and ecosystems harmed by climate change in the United States. Unfortunately, this latest action by the Trump Administration will only further hurt Virginians and our environment. In Hampton Roads, we have already seen the signs of a changing climate through extreme weather, recurrent flooding, and higher than average temperatures.
May 29, 2017
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement in observance of Memorial Day: “Today, we honor all the fallen men and women who have worn the uniforms of the Armed Services of the United States, and we rededicate ourselves to promoting peace so that their sacrifices will not have been in vain. So, on this Memorial Day, as you gather with family and friends to kick off the beginning of summer, take a moment to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect the freedoms we hold so dear.”
May 26, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) will hold a health care town hall in Hampton, Virginia on Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. The town hall will provide an overview of the Congressional Budget Office announcement that 23 million more Americans would lose their insurance under the American Health Care Act (AHCA). It will also provide information on other health care initiatives at the federal level. This will be an opportunity to learn how the Republican leadership’s plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act will affect Virginians and their families.
Issues:Health Care
May 25, 2017
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1761.
I first want to point out that the case outlined by the chair of the Judiciary Committee that failed in Federal court could have been brought in State court and the defendant would have been subjected to extremely long, lengthy prison time for the heinous conduct that he had participated in.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation expands the use of preexisting mandatory minimum sentences. Although the bill does not technically create new mandatory minimums, it does expose additional defendants to preexisting mandatory minimum sentences of 15, 25, and 35 years.
Issues:Civil Rights
May 24, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office announced that 23 million more Americans would be uninsured under Trumpcare, which passed the House of Representatives earlier this month.
"Three weeks ago, Republicans rushed to vote on a health care bill without a score from the Congressional Budget Office. Today, the CBO reasserts what we already knew to be true – under Trumpcare, millions of Americans would lose coverage, millions more would see their health care costs rise, and others will see their insurance policies cover less. With an age tax, cuts to subsidies, and tax breaks for millionaires, Trumpcare prioritizes the wealthiest Americans at the expense of working families and older Americans
May 23, 2017
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Lewis) for working with this side of the aisle on bipartisan comprehensive reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.
Juvenile courts were established by States in the first half of the 20th century based on the emerging legal theory that children should not be held as fully responsible for their actions as adults, a theory borne out over time by scientific research on impulse control and brain development.
The opportunity to rehabilitate children became the focus of the system rather than punishment of offenders. Congress first articulated national standards for juvenile justice in the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, or JJDPA. Long overdue for reauthorization, the bill creates important core protections for our children in the juvenile justice system in each State.
May 23, 2017
WASHINGTON – Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the White House released its Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal that cuts $9 billion from the Department of Education, slashes funding for the Department of Labor by 20 percent, and diminishes the Department of Health and Human Services’ ability to deliver early learning programs and health care for the American people.
“A budget is a reflection of priorities and in this proposal, President Trump has prioritized tax cuts for the wealthy over children, students, working families and older Americans. This budget undermines public education by directing federal dollars to voucher schemes and cutting Title I funding for high-poverty school districts. The budget also makes it harder to pay for college, guts effective job training programs, puts the health and safety of workers at risk, and attacks the civil rights of every American.
May 23, 2017
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1808, the Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act. This bill will strengthen recovery and prevention efforts of missing and exploited children by renewing and updating support for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, or NCMEC.
The terror experienced by parents of a missing child is unfathomable. Both the child and the parents experience pain, trauma, fear, and uncertainty. This is why affected families need the full support of law enforcement, schools, businesses, and other entities that may be able to assist in locating and recovering missing or exploited children.
May 23, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017 by voice vote. Introduced by Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN) the bipartisan legislation reauthorizes and reforms the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) to help state and local leaders better serve juvenile offenders and at-risk youth.
“Today’s bipartisan work in the House brings us one step closer to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline,” said Ranking Member Scott. “H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, includes necessary improvements to federal juvenile crime policy that are firmly grounded in evidence. The bill strengthens the basic protections for children in the juvenile systems in all states. It also ensures public dollars are invested in a continuum of evidence-based initiatives, and alternatives to incarceration and secure detention. We know this strategy produces positive results for at-risk youth that lead to reduced crime and long-term savings. This policy is based on the Youth PROMISE Act, legislation I first introduced in 2007, and I’m glad that we are able to pass the core parts of the Youth PROMISE Act today.”
May 22, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and U.S. Representative Bobby Scott will introduce the Building Up Infrastructure and Limiting Disasters through Resilience (BUILD Resilience) Act, a bill to establish a competitive grant program for resilient infrastructure investment. This legislation will bolster the ability of regions like Hampton Roads to implement projects and strategies to reduce regional vulnerability to threats like sea level rise and recurrent flooding. With a range from 1 ½ to 7 feet of sea level rise projected by the year 2100, the Hampton Roads region is the second largest population center at risk from sea level rise in the nation, behind only New Orleans. Analyses by the Congressional Budget Office and the Multihazard Mitigation Council of the National Institute of Building Sciences estimate that every $1 invested in resilient infrastructure upfront saves $3 to $4 in future losses on the back-end after a major disaster strikes.