COVID-19

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement to honor Workers Memorial Day. “Each year, Workers Memorial Day calls on us to remember the workers who have been killed or injured on the job. This year’s remembrance comes amid the worst worker safety crisis in OSHA’s 50-year history. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of people have suffered from workplace COVID-19 infections and thousands have tragically died. Workers in health care facilities, meat processing plants, warehouses, grocery stores, prisons, and many other workplaces have been forced to put themselves in grave danger just to provide for themselves and their families.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statements on President Biden’s American Families Plan, which would establish a national child care program, modeled after Congressman Scott and Senator Murray’s Child Care for Working Families Act, which they re-introduced last week, to ensure working families can find and afford high-quality child care.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (NC-05) released the following statement announcing the start of a bipartisan effort to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which is the nation’s primary federal workforce development legislation. Today, the Committee held a bipartisan roundtable to discuss opportunities to strengthen WIOA and confront the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “America’s workforce development programs are critical to the success of workers, employers, and our economy.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) announced today that FEMA has begun accepting applications for funeral assistance for Virginians who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. The funeral assistance program is part of the American Rescue Plan that was passed by Congress and signed by President Biden earlier this year. “We have lost far too many people to the COVID-19 pandemic, and funeral costs far too often add tremendous mental and emotional stress to the grieving process,” said Congressman Scott.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education announced it is conducting a comprehensive review of the Title IX rule established under the Trump Administration. “Providing students an environment where they are safe and free from discrimination is the most basic responsibility of schools and institutions. It is the foundation that gives all students the opportunity to learn and grow. Unfortunately, the Title IX rule established under the previous Administration eroded key protections for students, weakened accountability for schools, and created widespread disruption for institutions struggling to cope with the impact of the pandemic.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressional leaders sent a letter asking Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to establish a Special Enrollment Period that will allow unemployed workers to maintain access to affordable coverage after the expiration of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021’s (ARPA) COBRA subsidies—which will make it easier for workers to stay covered after losing a job. According to independent estimates, millions of Americans will access insurance through COBRA over the next six months.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after President Biden released his American Jobs Plan. “President Biden’s American Jobs Plan outlines a bold vision for creating millions of good-paying jobs and protecting the health and well-being of our children, workers, and communities. The Biden Plan will get struggling Americans back to work by making unprecedented and long-overdue investments in programs that are proven to help workers develop in-demand skills that prepare them for rewarding careers.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education announced it will pause collections and interest accrual on commercially-held student loans under the Family Federal Education Loan Program (c-FFEL) for borrowers who are in default. “Today, the Biden administration took another step to expand relief for struggling student loan borrowers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While Congress previously paused interest accrual and collections for distressed borrowers with federally held loans, these provisions did not cover borrowers with commercially-held loans under the Family Federal Education Loan Program (c-FFEL).