Committee on Education and Workforce

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – On July 17th, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, will host a virtual roundtable with educators and administrators from Virginia’s Third Congressional District. The purpose of this roundtable will be to discuss plans to safely re-open schools. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant strain on our education system as states and localities are working tirelessly to maintain access to education in a way that does not endanger students, school staff, and their families. Two months ago, the House of Representatives passed the Heroes Act, a robust legislative package to adequately respond to the continued spread of COVID-19. The Heroes Act would dedicate nearly $1 trillion in emergency relief to help states and local governments avert devastating cuts, particularly to education, public safety, and basic services. It also delivers $100 billion in direct education funding to address the unique challenges created by the pandemic.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after Virginia became the first state in the country to approve an Emergency Temporary OSHA standard protecting the workers against exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19. “I’m very pleased that the Commonwealth of Virginia has approved an Emergency OSHA standard to protect workers against COVID-19, and I applaud the Governor for his leadership on this issue.

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, in response to the Trump Administration’s June executive proclamation suspending all work visas during the COVID-19 pandemic, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and member of the House Intelligence and Education and Labor Committees, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-3), Chair of the Education and Labor Committee, Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-37), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Congressman Raúl Grijalva (AZ-3), Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-9), and Congressman Linda Sánchez (CA-38), urged the Department of Labor to prioritize the real labor problems of all workers and put a stop to the Trump Administration’s work visa ban, rather than push an anti-immigrant, racist narrative.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) invited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield, MD, or his designee, to testify before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education on Thursday, July 23. Chairman Scott specifically asks Director Redfield to discuss the immediate needs of K-12 public schools as many districts examine the possibility of reopening in the fall.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. Pennsylvania that, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, employers can claim a religious or moral objection to deny workers health insurance coverage for contraceptive care. “The passage of the Affordable Care Act a decade ago was a major milestone in our effort to ensure all Americans have access to safe and affordable contraceptive care.

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.