Committee on Education and Workforce
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November 30, 2017
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Patty Murray (D-WA), along with U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Mark Takano (D-CA), today introduced legislation to make at least four million American workers newly eligible for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours a week, providing economic security to millions of working families.The Restoring Overtime Pay Act would increase the overtime salary level from $23,660 per year to $48,412 per year, making at least four million workers newly eligible for overtime pay.
November 30, 2017
WASHINGTON D.C. – TODAY, Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce was joined by Reps. G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) and Barbara Lee (CA-09) to release a Government Accountability Office report entitled, “Diversity in the Technology Sector: Federal Agencies Could Improve Oversight of Equal Employment Opportunity Requirements.” The report found that the environment and access to these opportunities have not improved in more than a decade, for women, Black and Hispanic workers, and that there remains a persistent lack of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in the technology workforce.
November 29, 2017
WASHINGTON D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement in recognition of the 42nd anniversary of the landmark PL 94-142, now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). “Following the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, parents of students with disabilities pointed out that separate settings for students with disabilities were, and continue to be, unequal and discriminatory. Twenty-one years later, in 1975, Congress recognized the rights of students with disabilities to be educated in public schools in the least restrictive environment.
November 17, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after a private meeting was held at the Department of Education discussing the “harmful effects” of school discipline guidance from teachers who experienced violence in the classroom. Enacted under the Obama administration, the guidance encourages schools, districts, and states to reassess their policies for and use of suspensions and expulsions that are disproportionately used on students of color and students with disabilities. “Decades of research consistently shows that exclusionary school discipline is at best ineffective, and at worst, counter-productive.
November 9, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the National Education Association (NEA) released its analysis of the potential impact of eliminating the state and local tax deduction (SALT) on public education:
“New analysis from the NEA estimates that if Republicans succeed in eliminating much of the state and local tax deduction, as proposed in H.R. 1, it would likely have a devastating effect on state and local public education budgets.
November 7, 2017
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3441, the so-called Save Local Business Act. Mr. Speaker, in recent years, employers have increasingly moved away from direct hiring of employees to the use of permatemps and subcontracting to reduce labor costs and liability. For many workers, the name on the door of the building where they work may not be the name of the company that technically signs their paycheck.
In situations like these, where more than one entity controls or has the contractual right to control the terms and conditions of employment, the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act hold both entities responsible for violations as joint employers. The joint employment standard under the NLRA ensures that workers can negotiate with all parties that control the terms and conditions of employment. Similarly, the joint employment standard under the FLSA ensures the appropriate companies can be held accountable for wage theft, equal pay, overtime pay, and child labor violations.
November 6, 2017
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank and pay tribute to Denise Forte, who is my staff director on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. After a remarkable 20 plus year career in federal service, today is Denise's last day with us.
Denise first came to Capitol Hill as a Women's Research and Education Institute fellow in my personal office in 1994. While she received her degree in computer science from Duke University, Denise's fellowship on Capitol Hill made her realize her true professional calling--helping ensure America's children have equality access to a quality education. I recognized her talent and; at the conclusion of her fellowship, hired her as a full-time employee where she excelled at several positions, including as my legislative director.
November 3, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 261,000 jobs in October, with the unemployment rate at 4.1 percent.
“Today’s jobs report shows that our economic recovery remains strong and resilient, but our work in Congress is far from over. The reality is that too many families and individuals are still struggling to make ends meet, and lack some semblance of economic security. A substantial portion of that security is achieved through access to affordable health care coverage
October 6, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy lost 33,000 jobs in September, with the unemployment rate at 4.2 percent.
“The devastation from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria have put millions of Americans out of work. As a result, the job loss reported from the Bureau of Labor Statistics during September reflects the tremendous impact of these hurricanes on Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These numbers underscore the urgency to continue to help these communities recover and for Congress to pass a robust recovery package.
October 5, 2017
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Representative Mark Takano (CA-41), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, issued the following statement after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Department of Justice is reversing a policy that protects transgender workers from discrimination. “Attorney General Sessions’ decision to dismiss the Obama administration’s memo to protect transgender Americans under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act is yet another example of the Trump administration’s disturbing pattern of rolling back the civil rights of the most vulnerable Americans. In 1989, the Supreme Court found in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins that gender discrimination based on sex stereotyping is a violation of Title VII.