Committee on Education and Workforce

WASHINGTON – Today, in a House Committee on Education and Labor markup, Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) led Committee passage of legislation to help address and prevent child hunger by reauthorizing federal child nutrition programs. The Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act builds on the Committee’s work to expand school and summer meal programs, increase access to federal nutrition programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and prevent and address child hunger. “One of the key lessons reaffirmed by our response to the COVID-19 pandemic is that, when we invest in child nutrition programs, we help reduce child hunger.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, in a House Committee on Education and Labor markup, Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) led Committee passage of legislation to protect indoor and outdoor workers against occupational exposure to excessive heat. “Workers in this country still have no legal protection against one of the oldest, most serious, and most common workplace hazards: excessive heat. Heat illness affects workers in our nation’s fields, warehouses, and factories, and climate change is making the problem more severe every year,” said Education and Labor Committee Chairman Scott.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee Chair Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) introduced a comprehensive, evidence-driven reauthorization of federal child nutrition programs that meets the needs of children and families. The Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 8450) builds on Congressional Democrats’ work to expand school and summer meal programs, increase access to federal nutrition programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and prevent child hunger.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Department of Education released new guidance for states and school districts to help school leaders address disparities in discipline for students with disabilities. In 2018, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that students with disabilities, along with Black students and boys, face disproportionate rates of discipline when compared to their peers. “The guidance the Biden administration issued today will help schools keep students and staff safe.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023. “I was proud to vote for this year’s NDAA, which invests in our military, guarantees our national security, and supports our allies. This legislation includes a much-deserved 4.6 percent pay raise for servicemembers and civilian employees as well as inflation bonuses for those earning less than $45,000 a year. The legislation also codifies a $15 minimum wage for workers on federal service and construction contracts.

WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 372,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.6 percent. “Today’s jobs report, coupled with recent data from the Department of Labor, shows a strong labor market— a sign our economy is growing. Importantly, Americans are finding work in rewarding careers, the unemployment rate is steady, employers are hiring rapidly, and credit card delinquency rates are near record lows. Simply put, the Biden-Harris economic agenda is working for both workers and businesses. 

WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration finalized a rule on the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program created through the American Rescue Plan Act. The SFA Program averted the immediate crisis threatening the retirement security of America’s workers, retirees, and their families.  To date, the Program has operated on an interim rule and has saved 127,493 pensions and protected an estimated 562 businesses, according to the Committee’s tracker. “Today’s action by the Biden-Harris Administration establishes the final rules for the multiemployer pension rescue program that will protect millions of Americans’ retirement security and save tens of thousands of businesses. For years, workers, retirees, businesses, and taxpayers sought a solution to the multiemployer pension crisis. In response, Congressional Democrats delivered a historic victory through the American Rescue Plan that keeps the promises made to retirees, saves businesses from going under, and shields taxpayers from the even greater cost of a multiemployer pension collapse.

WASHINGTON, DC - Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks during today’s floor debate on passing the Keep Kids Fed Act (S.2089). “Roughly two years ago, our communities experienced an unprecedented surge in child hunger, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Just weeks into the pandemic, more than one in every three households with children, and nearly half of all mothers with young children, struggled with food insecurity.