Committee on Education and Workforce
More on Committee on Education and Workforce
July 28, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Bobby Scott released the following statement in response to Governor Ralph Northam’s proposal to dedicate $500 million in American Rescue Plan funding to help schools repair and upgrade ventilation systems, or complete other air quality projects. “I applaud Governor Northam’s proposal to dedicate additional American Rescue Plan funding to helping schools reopen safely and stay open safely. There is overwhelming scientific evidence that proper ventilation is essential to reducing the risk of COVID-19. Providing school districts the funding they need to improve air quality and repair or upgrade ventilation systems will go a long way to making classrooms safer for students, educators, and school staff.
July 24, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement acknowledging the 12-year anniversary of the $7.25 federal minimum wage on July 24. We are now experiencing the longest period of time without an increase in the federal minimum wage since it was created in 1938. “Today our nation reached a shameful milestone. Today marks 12 years since the last increase in the federal minimum wage – the longest period without an increase since it was established more than eight decades ago. Despite several efforts by House Democrats to raise wages for millions of workers, Republicans continue to block any increase in the federal minimum wage.
July 21, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor released a proposed rule implementing President Biden’s Executive Order 14026, which requires all federal contractors to pay a $15 minimum wage. “I applaud the Biden Administration for making good on its promise to increase the minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 an hour. By both raising the minimum wage and phasing out the tipped minimum wage for federal contractors, this rule will ensure that hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans can provide for themselves and their families.
July 14, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement reporting that key provisions from the PRO Act are included in the Senate budget agreement. “The Senate needs to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO) Act in its entirety, but any step we can take to defend workers’ rights is meaningful. Based on past precedent, there is good reason to believe important PRO Act provisions can pass through the Budget reconciliation process, and I applaud their inclusion in the Senate Budget Committee’s agreement.
July 13, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Education Department announced temporary changes to the federal student aid verification process for the 2021–22 award year. The temporary changes will provide relief to hundreds of thousands of students and thousands of colleges who may be facing challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Education Department’s decision to streamline the financial aid verification process is an important and sensible step to help students stay in school and complete their degrees.
July 2, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 850,000 jobs in June with the unemployment rate at 5.9 percent. “Today’s jobs report is further proof that the Biden-Harris economic agenda is delivering results for the American people. Since President Biden took office, the economy has created more than 3 million jobs and consumer confidence has soared to its highest rate in 21 years.
June 30, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Education Department’s Office of Inspector General confirmed that the former Under Secretary of Education exceeded her authority and wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to provide a handout to executives and owners at Dream Center Education Holdings. “This independent watchdog report provides clear evidence that the Trump administration’s Education Department took unprecedented and improper steps to support a failing for-profit college chain and that its actions cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
June 30, 2021
Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, urged President Biden to extend the pause on federal student loan payments, which is currently set to expire at the end of September. In a letter to President Biden, the members stressed that the pause on student loan payments has been a lifeline for struggling borrowers during the health and economic crises and that borrowers need more time and support in order to navigate resuming repayments.
June 28, 2021
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), the Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, helped secure $1.5 million for the Hampton Roads Community Action Program’s Head Start program, which provides early childhood education and comprehensive support to at-risk children and families. The funding was provided as part of the American Rescue Plan. The Hampton Roads Community Action Program will use these resources primarily to ramp up family support, recruitment and enrollment efforts, mental health support for children and families, and staff wellness.
June 24, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed a resolution introduced by Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) that will protect victims of workplace discrimination. The Congressional Review Act Resolution of Disapproval (S. J. Res 13) repeals a Trump-era rule that forced the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to meet new burdensome requirements affecting workers who bring allegations of discrimination. The resolution, which the Senate passed on May 19, now heads to President Biden’s desk. “Every worker who seeks justice for workplace discrimination deserves swift and fair access to justice,” said Chairman Scott.