Committee on Education and Workforce

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), House Committee on Education and Labor, Representative Don Beyer (D-Va.), Representative Donald McEachin (D-Va.), Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) reintroduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act, legislation to protect students from dangerous seclusion and restraint discipline practices in school. The Keeping All Students Safe Act would make it illegal for any school receiving federal taxpayer money to seclude children and would ban dangerous restraint practices that restrict children’s breathing, such as prone or supine restraint.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education announced its intention to begin revising a broad set of higher education policies that determine students’ access to debt forgiveness programs and strengthen accountability standards for institutions participating in federal student aid. “Quality higher education programs open doors of opportunity for millions of students and serve as a powerful engine for American prosperity. Unfortunately, the expansion of low-quality programs that fail to fulfill the promises of higher education leave students with a mountain of debt, while wasting billions in taxpayer money.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement calling for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to do its job to protect workers from COVID-19. National Nurses United and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union released statements citing concerns with the impact of CDC’s new guidance on workers. “One clear lesson from the last 16 months is that the honor system does not protect workers from COVID-19 infections.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) gave the following remarks to commemorate the 67th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education at the American Bar Association Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice webinar, entitled “Brown at 67: Reflecting and Reimagining. Thank you all for inviting me today to join this important discussion. In the 67 years since Brown v. Board of Education, the Education and Labor Committee has played a key role in our nation’s progress t owards achieving the promise of educational equity.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. “Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, introduced by Representatives Nadler and Katko. It is unacceptable that, in 2021, pregnant workers can still be denied basic workplace accommodations that help them stay healthy during their pregnancy. These accommodations—from providing seating and water to excusing pregnant workers from heavy lifting—are not complex or costly. But, without these protections, too many workers are forced to either leave their jobs or put their heath and the health of their pregnancy at risk.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) joined Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) and 53 other Members of Congress in reintroducing the Fairness for Farm Workers Act to update the nation’s labor laws to ensure farm workers receive fair wages and compensation. The bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to end the overtime and minimum wage exemptions for farm workers. Since its passage in 1938, FLSA has excluded farm workers from receiving fair wages.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Committee on Education and Labor, and Rep. Frank J. Mrvan (IN-01) introduced legislation to secure critical support for maritime workers who contract COVID-19. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ COVID-19 Compensation Act of 2021 (H.R. 3114) makes longshore and harbor workers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 eligible for workers’ compensation by establishing a “conclusive presumption” that they contracted the virus at work. Hundreds of longshore and harbor workers across the country have contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic. The presumption in this legislation would apply retroactively to January 27, 2020, when the COVID-19 public health emergency was declared by the Department of Health Human Services.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement on International Nurses Day in remembrance of nurses who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Today’s remembrance of nurses who have died from COVID-19 underscores the federal government’s failure to protect the professionals who have cared for us and our loved ones throughout the pandemic. More than 480,000 health care workers have contracted COVID-19 and more than 1,600 have tragically died, including more than 400 registered nurses.