Committee on Education and Workforce

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s plan to order meat processing plants to stay open and shield companies from liability for the health and safety of their workers. “There is clear evidence that without proper protections from COVID-19, workers in meat processing plants and other workplaces will continue to fall ill and die from this disease. It is profoundly disturbing that President Trump is using his authority to force workers into dangerous conditions without providing enforceable safety standards to protect them from COVID-19.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, issued the following statement in honor of Workers' Memorial Day. “As we mark Workers’ Memorial Day this year, we remember the workers who have lost their lives and recommit to making workplaces safe. This year’s remembrance comes at a particularly poignant time as our nation experiences its worst worker safety crisis in recent history. The Centers for Disease Control reports that more than 22,000 health care workers have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 70 have died.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, announced that K-12 schools in Virginia will receive $230 million in emergency funding as a result of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress passed on March 27. The funding comes from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, which allocates $13 billion for states and school districts to use for a wide range of purposes, including purchasing computers, hot spot devices, and cleaning supplies.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 266, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act – the interim funding package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The interim funding legislation passed by the House today will provide urgent relief to vulnerable small businesses and their workers. Thanks to the efforts of Democratic leadership, this funding package sets aside $60 billion for small lenders, such as community-based banks and credit unions, so that small businesses without banking relationships can still access much-needed relief funds. The proposal also now includes $75 billion for struggling hospitals and an additional $25 billion to bolster testing capacity, which remains one of the biggest barriers to economic recovery. While these provisions help meet some important and immediate needs, this interim package is woefully inadequate compared to the scale of this crisis.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairwoman Alma Adams (NC-12), and Congresswoman Donna Shalala (FL-27) introduced legislation to protect U.S. workers from COVID-19 in response to disturbing, widespread reports of unsafe workplaces leading to preventable illnesses and deaths. The COVID-19 Every Worker Protection Act would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard that establishes a legal obligation for all workplaces to implement infectious disease exposure control plans to keep workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, applauded the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) announcement that Virginia’s community college system will receive $3.3 million in grant funding to support workers displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress passed on March 27. It provides states a total of $345 million in Dislocated Worker Grants to workers develop new skills and connect with hiring employers.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, applauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) announcement that Virginia will receive over $70 million in emergency child care funding as a result of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress passed on March 27, 2020.