Committee on Education and Workforce

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrisey-Berru and St. James School v. Biel that religious employers can exempt some of their employees from civil rights laws on the basis of religious freedom. This is particularly relevant given the Court’s recent decision in Espinoza, which would allow taxpayer money to flow to private, religious schools.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump urged schools to reopen and threatened to withhold federal funding for those that do not resume normal operations in the fall. “Given the exacerbated educational inequities and abrupt shift to remote learning caused by the pandemic, it is understandable why students, educators, and communities are both hoping schools will resume normal operations this fall and have some hesitation.

WASHINGTON, DC – Bicameral Democratic Health Committee leaders wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin today expressing serious concerns with guidance recently issued by the Trump administration allowing insurance plans and group health plans to deny coverage claims for COVID-19 tests and other related services in violation of Congress’ clear legislative intent that these tests be provided without consumer cost-sharing and without limitation.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 4.8 million jobs in June with the unemployment rate at 11.1 percent. “While the overall jobs numbers in today’s report are promising, unemployment remains above the rates during the Great Recession as workers and families face the devastating impacts of the pandemic.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, which includes the Reopen and Rebuild America’s School Act. "We all want to reopen our schools as soon as possible. But we cannot take this step when the Centers for Disease Control guidance requires functioning ventilation systems to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Reopen and Rebuild America’s School Act provisions in the infrastructure package offer the solutions our schools need.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, in which the Court struck down a state policy that prevented taxpayer money from being used to pay for students to attend religious schools. “The Supreme Court’s ruling in Espinoza forces Montanan taxpayers to fund a program which would allow parents to funnel those funds or subsidies to mostly private religious schools.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a new fiduciary rule that would threaten workers’ hard-earned retirement savings. “As we continue to confront the worst public health emergency and economic crisis in recent history, the Department of Labor issued a new rule that undermines workers’ protections when making major decisions on how to save for retirement.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Trump Administration filed a brief with the Supreme Court, requesting that the Court overturn the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. “With today’s Supreme Court filing, the Trump Administration remains undeterred in its dangerous attack on Americans’ access to affordable health care.