COVID-19

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) introduced comprehensive legislation, the Mental Health Matters Act (H.R. 7780), to help confront the mental health crisis for children, students, workers, and families. The proposal includes a series of mental health policy priorities that would help support the behavioral health of students and school staff, strengthen school-based behavioral health care, and ensure access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits for workers and their families.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) met with Dr. George Parker, Superintendent of Newport News Public Schools (NNPS), Jacky Barber, Principal of Sedgefield Elementary School, and other NNPS officials to discuss how funding from the American Rescue Plan is helping students and schools recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Rescue Plan delivered $2.1 billion to K-12 school districts across Virginia and more than $82 million to Newport News Public Schools to help schools reopen safely, stay open safely, and make up for lost learning time. After the meeting, Congressman Scott toured classrooms to learn about school programs that were supported by the American Rescue Plan.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Scott (VA-03) as well as members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Reps. Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Lois Frankel (FL-21) sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that the GAO conduct a study on minors under 18 years of age who serve as a primary or secondary caregiver for a family member, also known as caregiving youth. “Many caregiving youth assist parents or other relatives who are also caregiving. These youth face challenges balancing their caregiving responsibilities with their education, mental health, and wellbeing, yet they often do not have access to the resources and services available to adult family caregivers or other vulnerable youth populations, which are already limited,” the lawmakers wrote.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement applauding the Biden Administration for today’s announcement that the Department of Education will extend the pause on student loans through August 31, 2022. In addition, the Department is putting currently defaulted federal student loan borrowers into good standing and erasing the default from their credit history. “Across the country, borrowers are continuing to face the economic fallout of COVID-19.  By extending the pause on student loan repayments, collections, and interest accrual, the Biden-Harris Administration has demonstrated that it remains committed to helping borrowers get back on their feet.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after President Biden released a proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023. “The Biden-Harris Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal lays out a clear vision for how America can build back better and meaningfully improve the lives of our nation’s students, workers, and families. The proposed budget reflects a key commitment to reverse decades of underfunding in education and build on the success of the American Rescue Plan.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it is preparing to issue a final workplace safety standard that will protect health care workers against workplace COVID-19 infections. “Today, the Department of Labor took a long-overdue step to keep our nation’s health care workers safe during the pandemic.

WASHINGTON, DC  – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement urging the Biden administration to extend the pause on student loan repayment, collections, and interest accrual through 2022. “I am urging the Biden-Harris administration to extend relief for student loan borrowers through the end of this year.  Throughout the pandemic, the pause on student loan payments has been critical to helping borrowers and families cope with the economic fallout of the pandemic. 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House Committee on Education and Labor released a new video celebrating the success of the American Rescue Plan and the transformative relief it provided for students, workers, and families. The American Rescue Plan, which President Biden signed into law on March 11, 2021, secured a historic $1.9 trillion investment to help communities recover from the pandemic. This investment has been critical to reopening schools, putting vaccines in arms, and helping people get back to work.