Committee on Education and Workforce

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) introduced the Lowering Obstacles to Achievement Now (LOAN) Act. The LOAN Act would lower the cost of college for current and future student borrowers and their families. The cost of attending college today is 40 times higher than tuition in 1963.  Student loans often follow borrowers long after college and can prevent them from planning for important life events, such as buying a house or starting a family. The burden falls particularly hard on women and people of color, who take on disproportionally larger amounts of debt and are less likely to be able to pay off the debt throughout the course of their careers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 73,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1 percent to 4.2 percent.  “Working people in this country are struggling to make ends meet.  Despite this, Congressional Republicans pushed through the 'Big, Ugly Law.' A cruel law that rips away food assistance and health care from millions of Americans to give massive tax breaks to the wealthy and big corporations.  What’s worse is that Congressional Republicans applauded cuts to SNAP and Medicaid while families are struggling to put food on the table and afford basic care.

WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, Representative Judy Chu (D-CA.-28), and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) joined union workers from the United Farm Workers (UFW), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and United Steelworkers to announce their bipartisan, bicameral legislation to implement federal enforceable workplace heat stress protections. Co-leads of the legislation include Representative Alma Adams (D-NC-12), and Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).

WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined their colleagues in reintroducing the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court granted the Trump Administration’s request to temporarily pause an order by a federal judge in Massachusetts that would require the Department of Education to reinstate nearly 1,400 employees. “Once again, this Supreme Court has, without explanation, undermined our Constitution and the separation of powers.  As Justice Sotomayor rightly points out, ‘when the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it.’

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Labor announced plans to further prevent undocumented immigrants from accessing federal programs. “Undocumented immigrants are already prohibited from participating in many federal social safety net programs, such as SNAP benefits and Pell Grants.  And when they are eligible, it is because there is a public purpose, such as treatment of communicable diseases. 

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Committee on Education and Workforce,sent a letter to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer requesting a staff briefing on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) plans following revelations that the agency is moving forward with a sweeping deregulatory agenda. Amid the Department of Labor’s “aggressive deregulatory efforts,” Ranking Member Scott is concerned about proposals that appear to undermine core worker protections.  According to the public database maintained by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), the Department has recently submitted over a dozen draft rulemakings for review.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce and a member of the House Committee on the Budget, issued the following statement after voting against the Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill: “Once again, Republicans rushed to jam their Big, Ugly Bill through Congress. Their bill will have serious consequences for America’s working families. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that 17 million people will lose their health insurance, including over 322,000 Virginians. It will make college less affordable.