Committee on Education and Workforce

WASHINGTON, DC – NEXT WEEK, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) will host a town hall meeting in Smithfield, Virginia. This event will be an opportunity for constituents to learn more about the Congressman’s work as Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, as well as other issues pending before Congress. This will be an opportunity for residents of the 3rd congressional district to provide comments and ask questions.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor proposed to raise the overtime salary threshold to $35,308 from $23,660. The overtime threshold is the level below which salaried executive, administrative and professional workers must receive overtime pay for each hour worked after 40 hours per week. “The new overtime salary threshold proposed by the Department of Labor falls far short of meeting the needs of workers who are struggling to get ahead. While some people will see benefits under the new threshold, the proposal would exclude millions of workers who would have benefited under the 2016 Obama administration rule, which would have increased the threshold to nearly $50,000.

WASHINGTON, DC – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia vacated the Education Department’s delay of the Equity in IDEA rule. The Obama-era rule, which Secretary DeVos had delayed for two years, helps schools address persistent and pervasive disparities in identification, placement, and discipline of students of color with disabilities. “Today’s court ruling is a major victory for students and parents and an important step toward ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality, equitable education in a safe and healthy environment."

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Committee on Education and Labor approved the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582), a proposal to gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2024. The Raise the Wage Act would give nearly 40 million workers a raise and, by putting money in the pockets of American workers, provide an economic stimulus to local businesses and communities. “Today, the Committee took an important step toward lifting millions of American workers out poverty by raising the minimum wage for the first time in nearly a decade,” said Chairman Bobby Scott.

WASHINGTON, DC – With the support of leaders from the civil rights, social justice and faith communities, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, Congressman Joe Kennedy III (MA-04), and Senator Kamala D. Harris (CA) today reintroduced legislation to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The Do No Harm Act would clarify that no one can seek religious exemption from laws guaranteeing fundamental civil and legal rights. Originally introduced in response to the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores decision that made it possible for corporations to deny health care to female employees, the legislation would also overturn the Trump administration’s recent waiver allowing child welfare agencies in South Carolina to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals and different religions.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Labor, and Chairman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (NMI-AL), House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, along with 96 other cosponsors, introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act − a comprehensive early learning and child care bill to ensure affordable, high-quality child care for working middle class families and those living paycheck to paycheck. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced a companion bill in the Senate with 35 cosponsors.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (NC-05) announced plans to hold five bipartisan hearings on higher education, marking the formal start of an effort the reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) in the 116th Congress. The joint announcement reflects the Committee’s shared intention to host a thoughtful and open exchange of ideas for improving America’s higher education system.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump delivered this State of the Union address before Congress. “President Trump’s State of the Union – like the first two years of his presidency – largely ignored the challenges facing students, workers, and communities across the country. Access to a quality education, a good-paying job, and affordable health care are fundamental issues for all Americans. Rather than offering credible solutions, the president continued to spread misinformation about immigration and advocate for an ineffective and inefficient wall.